
■ 

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MEMOIR 




REV. WILLIAM GURLEY, 



LATE OF MILAN, OHIO, 



A LOCAL MINISTER OP THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH : 



INCLUDING 



A SKETCH 



IRISH INSURRECTION AND MARTYRS OP 1798. 



EMBELLISHED WITH A PORT 




Cincinnati: 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, AT THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN, 
CORNER OF MAIN AND EIGHTH-STREETS. 



K . P. THOMPSON, PRINTER. 

1850. 




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1849j 
BY L. B. GURLEY, 
In the Clerk's Office for the District Court for the District of Ohio. 



PREFACE. 



In presenting to the public a biography of my late 
venerable father, it may be gratifying to the reader to 
know the sources from whence the facts and materials for 
the work have been drawn. 

At the request of many of his acquaintances, several of 
whom were ministers of our Church, my father spent the 
summer of 1834 in committing to paper the most important 
and interesting events of his life, from his childhood to the 
close of the Irish Rebellion, and his subsequent emigration 
to this country, thus bringing the narrative down to a period 
within my own recollection. 

This was done in a series of letters to myself. It was 
his design to have had the work published then ; but time 
to prepare it not being at command, it has been unavoid- 
ably delayed. From this manuscript, then, most of the facts 
concerning him have been derived ; and a large proportion 
of the letters, in the form of extracts and quotations from 
his manuscript, are embodied in this memoir. 

The sanguinary scenes of the insurrection of 1*798 are 
drawn partly from this source, and partly from "a History 
of the Irish Rebellion in the County of Wexford," by Rev. 
George Taylor, a Wesleyan preacher, who was imprisoned 
at the same time with Mr. Gurley, and whose history was 
published a few months after the close of the insurrection, 
having been written on the spot. 

Besides these sources of information, I am indebted 



4 



PREFACE. 



further, for the facts recorded, chiefly to the following 
works: "Allison's History of Europe," "Plowden's History 
of Ireland," "Life of Thomas Addis Emmet," "Miller's 
History of England," " Encyclopaedia of Geography," 
" London Imperial Magazine." 

If it is thought that too great latitude has been taken, in 
entering so fully into the political events of Ireland, I have 
only to reply, that the manuscript of my father led me into 
this field ; so that I could not avoid it, -without injustice to 
the work. Moreover, as the lamentable convulsion of 1798 
was the occasion of his imprisonment, suffering, and losses, 
some account of it would naturally be expected, as insep- 
arably connected with the history of his life. And it is 
believed it will render the memoir not less interesting to 
the inquiring reader. Many of the facts contained in these 
pages may appear to reflect severely on the Church of 
Rome; but if this be so, it is not the fault of the writer; 
the active part which her clergy and adherents took in 
those deplorable events, has long been recorded by the 
historians of Europe. The readers of this work must 
judge for themselves how far and how justly the honor 
and reputation of that denomination are affected by these 
transactions. 

In preparing this memoir for the public eye, the author 
has aimed chiefly at arranging and combining, with accuracy 
and perspicuity, the facts derived from various sources, 
mingled with such digressions and reflections as might give 
variety and interest to the narrative. How far he has been 
successful is for others to determine. 

It is hoped, that while the reader may derive edification 
from a contemplation of the piety, faith, fortitude, and zeal, 
of one who has passed through various and striking vicissi- 
tudes of fortune, who was an acquaintance of the venerable 
founder of Methodism, and whose life reached through 



PREFACE. 



5 



almost a century, that he may also find much to interest 
him, in the stirring scenes and tragic events of the far- 
famed "Irish Insurrection." 

The Author. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

Ireland the birthplace of Mr. Gurley — His ancestry and re- 
ligious training — Wesleyan preachers visit his father's — Wes- 
ley's care for youth — Death of Mr. G-urley's father — Amusements 
of early years — Love of the sea — Irish wakes and funeral rites — 
His taste for reading — Fairies and apparitions — Religious im- 
pressions — Commences family prayer — Reflections on early 
piety Page 13 

CHAPTER II. 

William becomes an apprentice — Declines in piety — Class formed 
in Wexford — Is reclaimed under a prayer by Mr. Wesley — Becomes 
a leader — Sabbath duties — His acquaintance "with Mr. Wesley — 
Defends him from an assault — Wesley licenses him to preach — 
Reflections on local preachers — Their benefit to the Church — Irish 
conference invites him to travel — Reasons for declining — Moral 
and religious state of Ireland — Experience of a mountaineer — An- 
ecdote of Wesleyan preacher and parson — Mr. Gurley visits Eng- 
land — Storm at sea — Joseph Benson — Death of Wesley — Rev. John 
Miller and a highway robber — Mr. Gurley 's encounter with a ruffian 
at an inn — Commences business in Wexford — Catholic priest in a 
dilemma — Relieved by Mr. Gurley — His marriage 30 

CHAPTER III. 

Insurrection of 1798 — History of Ireland — Cause of its discontent 
and degradation — Commencement of English sway — Reformation 
did not reach Ireland — Bad policy of England — Massacre of 
Protestants in 1641 — Avenged by Cromwell — Catholics deprived 
of political privileges — Confiscation of estates — Tithes — Distin- 
guished men born in Ireland — Irish clubs — White boys — Oak 
boys — Defenders — Tragic death of Major Valloton — Epitaphs.. .59 

CHAPTER IV. 

Origin of the Society of United Irishmen — Its true character- 
Alliance with France Treaty, with French Directory — Memo- 
rial by Theobald Wolf Tone— Oath of United Irishmen— French 

7 



8 



CONTENTS. 



expedition a failure — Prospects of a successful revolution and in- 
dependence Page 69 

CHAPTER V. 

Indications of rebellion in the county of Wexford — Plot of 
Papists against Protestants — Catholic bigotry the cause of Ire- 
land's ruin — Proof of Catholic plot — Black test, or secret oaths — 
Catholic priests take the lead — Alarming signs of rebellion — A 
mark on the children of Catholics — Shrubberies gleaned for pike 
handles 75 

CHAPTER VI. 

Dublin headquarters of Conspirators — Arrest of Leaders by 
Government — Capture of Lord Edward Fitzgerald — His death — 
Plan of attack on Dublin — Its defeat — Cause — Prospects of revo- 
lution at the capital blasted — County of Wexford the centre and 
vortex of Insurrection — Hypocritical conduct of Priests to blind 
Government — Catholics take oath of allegiance — Their Memorial — 
The Rebellion not a struggle for liberty — Arrest of B. B. Harvy — 
Rising of Papists under priest John Murphy — Signal fires seen by 
Mr. Gurley — Murphy's men defeat cavalry — Death of officers — Boo- 
key's house attacked and burned 80 

CHAPTER VII. 

Sabbath morn — Murder of Rev. Robert Burrows and parish- 
ioners — Death of Rev. Francis Turner and nine others — Wexford 
in consternation — Mr. Gurley attended preaching at five o'clock 
in the morning — Saw smoke of burning houses on his return — 
Soldiers cut off— Battle of Enniscorthy — Troops fly to Wexford — 
Situation of Protestants — Mr. Gurley 's house open to refugees — 
His advice to them — Attack on Wexford expected — High spirits 
of Murphy and the insurgents 91 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Camp on Vinegar Hill — Wexford surrendered to twenty thousand 
Insurgents — Mr. Gurley and family on ship — Rebels enter town — 
Murders — National Council established — Harvy appointed Presi- 
dent and Commander-in-Chief — Citizens imprisoned — Mr. Gurley 
seized and taken from ship — Set at liberty — His account of a visit 
to priest Corrin — Rebels attempt to shoot him 100 

CHAPTER IX. 

Mr. Gurley put in prison — His description of it — Jail crowded — 
Imprisonment of Rev. George Taylor, a Wesleyan minister — Mr. 



CONTENTS. 



9 



Gurley's brother and brother-in-law brought to the prison — He 
establishes prayer meetings in his cell — Extracts from his jour- 
nal — Mrs. Gurley returns from ship — Her sufferings — Comes to 
see him in prison — Fare of prisoners — Prisoners compelled to exe- 
cute Catholic traitors — Dreadful alarm of prisoners — Remarkable 
prayer meeting — His own account of his feelings — Hymns sung 
in prison Page 111 

CHAPTER X. 

Progress of the insurgents — Division of the army — Battle of 
Newtown -barry — Insurgents defeated — Battle of Gorey — King's 
troops cut off, and Gorey taken — Harvy's camp — Sculaboge 
House — Troops march to attack Ross — Proceedings in Wexford — 
Cruel treatment of Protestants — Rev. Mr. Owen — his sufferings — 
Jonas Gurley required to shoot a prisoner — Baptizing heretics — 
Mr. Gurley's mother — Martyrdom of Protestants on Vinegar Hill — 
Narrative of a prisoner — Murders in cold blood sanctioned by 
priests 123 

CHAPTER XI. 

Battle of Ross — 7,000 insurgents slain — Oath found in the 
pocket of a Catholic 140 

CHAPTER XII. 

Sculaboge house and garn — Thirty-seven prisoners shot, one 
hundred and eighty-four burned — Their skeletons, an awful 
sight — Remorse of B. B. Harvy at the sight — He predicts their 
defeat — Catholics burned — Miss Ryan — A bagpipe player — Harvy 
disgusted with the priests — Attempts to prevent murder — Is de- 
posed, and a priest elected in his place — Speech of priest Mur- 
phy — Priest Roach Commander-in-chief — His character and hy- 
pocrisy — Priest Roach's gospels or protections — Letter 147, 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Battle of Arklow — Sergeant Shepherd — Death of priest Mur- 
phy — Insurgents routed — End and Character of Murphy — Dese- 
cration of a church — Abuse of Bibles — Persecution of Protestants — 
Murder of the Hornicks — Conscious guilt of Papists — Singular cir- 
cumstance — Rowsom shot by priest Kearns — Reflections 157 

CHAPTER XIV. 

State of Wexford — Imprisonment of Rev. George Taylor, trav- 
eling preacher — Extract from his narrative — Furnished with food 
by Mr. Gurley — His narrow escape from death at Gorey — His dress, 



10 



CONTENTS. 



sufferings, and persecutions — He is prevented from praying in 
prison — Prayer meeting in Mr. Gurley's cell 'well attended — Happy 
result therefrom — Conversion of a prisoner — His triumphant 
death — Found afterward by Mr. Gurley on his knees in the 
water — Arrival of King's troops — Insurgents concentrate on Vin- 
egar Hill — Troops under General Lake surround the hill — State 
of things in Wexford — The death of all the prisoners announced, 
to take place next day Page 165 

CHAPTER XV. 

Morning of the 20th of June — Murdering band assembled by 
Dixon — Black flag — Massacre on the bridge — Inhumanity of Popish 
bishop — Murder of Mr. Gurley's brother and brother-in-law — Mr. 
Gurley led out to be piked — He comes to murdering band — His 
feelings — How rescued from death — He returns to prison — Nar- 
rowly escapes again — Rebukes a rebel officer — Affecting scene in 
cell — Close of murders on bridge 173 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Battle of Vinegar Hill — Defeat of the insurgents — Danger of 
prisoners at "Wexford — Rebel authorities offer to capitulate — Cor- 
respondence of leaders — Insurgents evacuate the city — Mr. Gurley 
and others during the night preceding the battle — Prayer meeting 
all night — Prison shaken by artillery in the morning — King's 
troops enter the town — Prison doors opened — Transports of prison- 
ers and friends — Meeting at Mr. Gurley's house — Mr. G. seeks the 
dead bodies of his friends — Temporal circumstances — He goes to 
Dublin for goods 186 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Proclamation of General Lake — Waning prospects of insur- 
gents — Leaders taken and executed — French troops land at Killa- 
la — Proclamations of French officers — Failure of French expedi- 
tion — Their surrender — Amusing address of the Mackamores — 
"The Emmets" — Close of Rebellion — Reflections 197 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Alarm at Wexford on landing of French troops — Mrs. Gurley 
goes to Dublin — Mr. Gurley concludes to remove to England — Re- 
ception at Liverpool — Meets Dr. Coke — Resolves on emigration to 
United States — Little son left in Ireland — Family reach New 
York — Settle in Norwich, Connecticut — Methodism — Presbyte- 
rians — Anecdote 21 3 



CONTENTS. 



11 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Mr. Gurley removes to Ohio — Journey — First log cabin — Great 
comet of 1812 — Arrival at fire-lands — First sermon — Class form- 
ed — Prairie on fire — First school — Bee-tree — New dwelling — 
Scenery — War — Indian murders Page 219 

CHAPTER XX. 

Surrender of General Hull — Alarm of settlers — Scene at dinner - 
table — Inhabitants meet at Fort — Burying goods — Journey — Night 
in woods — Death of a child — Family reach Zanesville — Bishop As- 
bury — Mr. Gurley ordained — Rev. David Young — Mr. Gurley's 
views of American preachers — Letter from Ireland — Arrival of his 
son James — Meeting of mother and son 234 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Mr. Gurley returns to Huron county — Improvement of country — 
Circuit preaching — James Gurley becomes a preacher — Mr. Gurley 
settles in Milan — His extensive labors — His second son converted — 
Joins Ohio conference — Traveling and local preachers — Pattee and 
M'Intire — Mr. Gurley ordained elder — His age and death — His 
character 249 



MEMOIR 

OP 

REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

CHAPTER I. 

Ireland the birthplace of Mr. Gurley — His ancestry and re- 
ligious training — Wesleyan preachers visit his father's — Wes- 
ley's care for youth — Death of Mr. Gurley's father — Amusements 
of early years — Love of the sea — Irish wakes and funeral rites — 
His taste for reading — Fairies and apparitions — Religious impres- 
sions — Commences family prayer — Reflections on early piety. 

Ireland, or the "Emerald Isle," as the' Irishman loves 
to call it, was the birthplace of the Rev. William Gurley. 
Love of country is a sentiment natural to man, and common 
to the inhabitants of every portion of the globe. But with 
the Irishman the feeling has all the power of a strong 
passion. 

The appellation of Irishman, it must be confessed, is not 
always a passport of honor ; yet, who ever saw a son of 
Old Erin ashamed of his country? 

Robbed of its ancient freedom, oppressed, degraded, and 

despoiled, as has been this unfortunate land — enslaved by 

British domination, and ruined by the wretched policy of 

its masters — yet, from every country under heaven where 

may be found the Irishman, he turns his thoughts to the 

home of his childhood with an affection which distance can 

scarce diminish or time impair. And well may he cherish 

such a predilection, for Ireland is a land of surpassing 

loveliness. Her skies may not be deemed as bright as those 

of Italy, England may surpass her in the grandeur of her 
2 13 



14 MEMOIR OF KEV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

mountains, and America in the gorgeousness of her unshorn 
forests and the magnitude of her lakes, yet the scenery of 
Ireland is exquisitely beautiful. Her mountains are green, 
her lakes pellucid ; and if her rivers are not as large as in 
some other countries of more ample dimensions, yet they 
are proportioned to her territory, and wind with enchanting 
loveliness through romantic parks and flowery meads. Her 
high places are crowned with venerable ruins, ancient cas- 
tles, and ivy-covered towers — the work of remote ages. 
And if a country derives honor from the illustrious men to 
whom she has given birth, then, indeed, few portions of the 
civilized world could bear the palm from Ireland. 

William Gurley was born in the city of Wexford, on the 
12th of March, 1757. Wexford is a populous town in the 
south of Ireland, and a maritime port of considerable 
importance. It is watered by the Slaney, a beautiful river, 
which, after winding in silent loveliness through a rich and 
variegated landscape, terminates in a spacious and beautiful 
harbor at the city. The ruins of ancient churches and 
abbeys indicate its former magnificence. 

In the days of his boyhood a high stone wall, erected 
at a remote period, surrounded the city. The place con- 
tained nine thousand inhabitants, a large majority of 
whom were of the Roman Catholic faith. The Protestants 
were chiefly of the established Church of England. There 
were some Dissenters. 

Of the family of Mr. Gurley, the following account is 
given from his own pen : 

"As to my ancestors I can give but little information. 
My father died when I was a child; consequently, I 
was deprived from obtaining intelligence from that quar- 
ter. At one time, when I was in Dublin, I called at the 
heraldry office, to find, if possible, the family coat of arms, 
and the original name, from those ancient records. I 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



15 



ascertained that one James Gurley came over from Scotland 
in the year 1100. Our coat of arms was a lion rampant; 
the crest a lion's head and neck ; field, pearl or argent, but 
no motto. 

" My immediate ancestors were honest and industrious, 
and of good repute. My father held a respectable post in 
the naval department. He and all his relatives adhered to 
the Church of England. My mother's maiden name was 
Chamberlain; her parents were of the Society of Friends. 
Two of my brothers and two of my sisters were older than 
myself. I had but one younger brother. 

"My mother's relatives, most of them, were wealthy. 
Several of them emigrated to America when I was a boy, 
and resided in the city of Philadelphia. Some of them 
wrote to my parents, requesting them to send some of their 
sons over, and they would establish them in business. 

"But a voyage to America, in the days of my youth, 
was like going to the ' end of the world,' and my mother's 
affection was too strong to yield to such a request. One 
of my father's relatives died very rich. He had a large circle 
of heirs, and all received something. I have frequently 
read a copy of his will ; it covered half a quire of paper. 

" The manner in which he obtained his wealth was often 
the subject of amusing conversation in the family. On his 
estate, which was small, there was discovered a very rich 
mine, or rather deposit, of native silver. It was found in 
lumps of various sizes, and frequently pure, as if melted 
and purified in a furnace. All such places belonged to the 
government. The law, however, allowed the owner of the 
estate on which a mine was found, to have the privilege of 
manufacturing from the precious metals any plate or utensils 
for his own house or use, but no further ; it must then be 
shut up, or worked only by order and for the benefit of 
government. 



16 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

"The lucky owner of the estate made the best of this 
law, by putting on its terms the most liberal construction. 
He worked the mine for several years. There was scarce 
an article of furniture about the mansion but was made of 
silver — not only table plate, but even tables, chairs, pails, 
tubs, fire furniture, grates, pokers, and every thing you 
could name — even bedsteads, and banisters of stairs, and 
carpet-rods, were constructed of the precious metal. The 
mine was then closed. 

" ~Not long after all these things were broken up and 
turned to cash, and thus he was made rich for life, and 
enabled to leave all his relatives something. My father 
received a portion, but it was not large.* 

"We were all required to repeat our prayers morning 
and evening. These consisted only of the Apostles' Creed 
and the Lord's Prayer. At each Lent we were required to 
repeat the Catechism of the Church." 

But, although William was thus early trained by his 
father to observe and reverence the forms and rites of the 
Established Church, yet he seems never to have imbibed for 
them much veneration or respect. This was probably 
owing, in a good degree, to his mother, who, as we have 
seen, was of Quaker descent. She constantly inculcated 
on his tender mind the doctrine, that the external forms 
and ceremonies of religion are of little account in the sight 

*I find, on investigation, that mines of both silver and gold 
have been found and worked in Ireland. Native gold is found in 
the Ballin Valley streams. It was found in 1801, in grains and 
masses. One lump found weighed twenty-two ounces. 

Robert Carr, also, in his " Stranger in Ireland," observes, in 
relation to a gold mine in Wicklow: "The discovery for a time 
elated the breast of every Irishman. His country promised to 
become another Peru. Gold — yellow, glittering, precious gold — ■ 
flashed before the eye. The shepherd left his flock, the husband- 
man his field, the manufacturer his looms, and thousands deserted 
their homes and occupations." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 17 

of God — that he regarded the heart, and that we must be 
"led by the Spirit," and follow the "inward light," in 
accordance with the written word. 

How almost omnipotent is the influence of a mother, in 
shaping the character and destiny of her child ! To this, 
perhaps, under God, we may ascribe that independence of 
thought and decision of character, which enabled Mr. 
Gurley, in after life, amid persecution and the "scorn of 
lying tongues," to espouse the cause and sentiments of the 
devoted Wesley, to which he adhered sometimes at the 
peril of his life, with invariable firmness, through all the 
vicissitudes of his long and eventful career. 

Although the father of William was a member of the 
Church of England, yet his house was a home for the 
Wesleyan preachers, in their early efforts to plant Metho- 
dism in Ireland. He looked with concern and sorrow on 
those clergymen and members of the Established Church, 
who seemed to think they were doing God service by 
traducing the characters and mobbing the persons of the 
associates of the intelligent, zealous, self-sacrificing founder 
of the Methodist societies, whose salutary influence on com- 
munity was already apparent. 

The first religious impressions of a permanent character, 
of which William was the subject, were received at the 
knees and beneath the winning smiles of the Wesleyan 
preachers who visited his father's mansion. 

In his manuscript he thus observes : " Of my early child- 
hood I recollect but little, as so many years have since 
passed away ; but this I remember well, that Mr. Wesley's 
preachers used frequently to be at my father's house, and 
at one of my uncles. They were very fond of me, and 
would have me on their knees, and give me nuts and raisins 
to sing hymns for them." 

The impressions of early years are lasting; the weight 
2* 



IS 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



of a child's finger might affect the form of an oak that 
shall stand for centuries. 

These men of God won the heart of little William. He 
hailed their frequent return with demonstrations of joy. 
Their gentle but solemn words sunk deep into his heart, 
and laid broad and deep the foundation of a virtuous and 
useful life. 

The penetrating eye of the founder of Methodism was 
fixed on the rising generation ; and a special regard for the 
instruction of youth was a prominent feature of his char- 
acter. The associates of Mr Wesley in ministerial toil, 
were moving in the midst of ten thousand tender plants. 
By gently giving them the right direction, they were to 
grow up trees of righteousness ; and, transplanted m differ- 
ent parts of the world, they were to bring forth fruit to the 
glory of God. 

It is not for the eye of mortal to penetrate the future, 
and perceive the ultimate or even proximate results of our 
efforts to do good. 

It is probable that the good men who held William on 
their knees, tuning his infant voice to the songs of Zion, 
had but little expectation that that voice would wake its 
melody in the deep forests of America, or that he should 
be among the first to plant the cross in the wilds of a 
western state — that he should live to communicate to 
thousands in the new world the same blessed truths they 
were communicating to him. 

It seems to have been many years after the first society 
was formed in Wexford, before a Methodist chapel was 
erected. Private houses, and the street or fields, were the 
places usually occupied by the early Wesleyan preachers. 
If a well-wisher to the cause opened his house for preach- 
ing, the influence of neighbors, or magistrates, or clergy- 
men, was often exerted to close the door upon them. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



19 



There was a sacred contagion about Methodism ; and pride, 
and bigotry, and power dreaded its influence. The fire of 
persecution was kindled around it ; but, like the emblematic 
bush of Mount Horeb, though wrapped in flames, it was 
unconsumed. God was in the midst of the bush. 

Mr. Gurley gives the following incident in regard to the 
early establishment of Methodism in his native place: 
"When I was but a little child, I frequently accompanied 
my aunt, who was a Methodist, to her meeting. It was 
held in a room on a back street. The house was owned or 
leased by one Jonathan Morgan, who was a member of 
society. It was a commodious place, and was fitted up 
with pulpit and benches. Poor Jonathan had a rich brother, 
who despised and hated the Methodists, who at that time 
were deemed, by the rich and proud, as the dregs of man- 
kind. To induce Jonathan to close the room against the 
preachers, and quit the society, he offered to settle on him 
an annuity of one hundred pounds, and pay it quarterly. 
Jonathan was a poor man, with a family to support, and so 
poor a mechanic that he could earn but little. The offer 
was too tempting to be rejected; so he agreed to the 
proposal; and then down came the pulpit, out went the 
benches, and of course no preacher ever went to Jonathan's 
afterward. The annuity was only during his life; but 
Jonathan died before the first quarter's rent became due! 
What an awful thing was this, to sell the service of God 
and means of grace for money ! and, after all, go into eter- 
nity before he had received one dollar of his pay! His 
wife Hannah proved faithful. Providence supplied her 
wants in an unexpected manner. She was a member of 
my class in her old age, thirty years after. Where the 
preaching was taken, immediately after this, I cannot recol- 
lect, but remember that the preachers were entertained at 
my uncle's house, and at my father's." 



20 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



William was eight years old when the death of his father 
occurred. The event made a deep impression on his mind, 
and is thus described by his own pen: 

"I recollect well the death of my affectionate father. 
About an hour before he breathed his last, he called me 
to his bedside. My mother and the other children were 
already there, weeping. He put out his cold, almost dead 
hand, and laid it on my head. 'Billy,' said he, 'I am 
going to leave you.' I wept. ' Death calls me from yoa 
all. Kneel down till I give you my parting blessing.' I 
did so. His hand still resting heavily on my head, he 
opened his eyes, looked up, and said, 'May my blessing, 
and the blessing of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, rest 
on and be with you, as long as you live ! Be a good boy, 
and obey your mother.' After taking leave, in a similar 
way, of each of the family, he remained a short time silent. 
I stood by his bed all the time, and watched his motions. 
Soon, like the patriarch of old, he gathered up his knees in 
the bed, raised his hands, let them fall, and, without a 
sigh or groan, breathed his last." 

The early boyhood of William was passed with little 
worthy of special record. His leisure hours were spent 
among the rural hills that skirt his native cit}^ or, as 
was frequently the case, on the bosom of the sea, whose 
restless billows washed the walls of his mother's dwell- 
ing. 

He loved the water, and often accompanied the fishermen, 
in their excursions, until he became expert in the manage- 
ment of a sail-boat, and often ventured out alone miles from 
the shore. One of his most interesting pastimes was, to 
conceal himself behind green bushes, placed in the bow of 
his boat; then drift out with the tide among the wild fowl 
which, at certain seasons, frequented by thousands the 
harbor, and, when sufficiently near, let fly with shot among 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



21 



them; then, steering among the dead and wounded, bear 
them in triumph to his home. 

This familiarity with the sea, and the naval skill he 
acquired, were of some service to him at times in after life ; 
especially on one occasion, on a passage to Liverpool, when, 
by the unskillfulness or timidity of the captain, the ship 
and crew came near being lost. The event belongs to a 
future period in his history. 

Sometimes he was permitted to go to a wake among the 
peasantry in the suburbs. In one of his letters he thus 
refers to these nocturnal assemblies : 

"In the days of my boyhood the low Irish had a vast 
number of vain and superstitious customs, which, though 
latterly not so frequent, were then very common, and highly 
esteemed. 

" Among these were their funeral rites. When a man or 
woman dies, as soon as the corpse is laid out, the house is 
filled with friends and neighbors, especially if the deceased 
was much "respected or beloved. The company consists of 
both old and young, who continue, with intervals, day and 
night, till the interment takes place. 

"The guests are supplied with plenty of snuflf, tobacco, 
and pipes. The long night is spent in singing songs, telling 
stories, playing laughable tricks, together with music, and 
sometimes dancing. 

" At twelve o'clock large dishes of bread and cheese are 
handed round for refreshment. Then good malt beer and 
whisky succeed, of which the whole company partake — 
then to singing and playing again, till the sun sends all 
home to breakfast. 

"The old custom of crying for the dead was in common 
practice. Generally some old women, who were noted for 
their howling abilities, were hired for the purpose. These 
would gather around the corpse, fall on their knees, cross 



22 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



themselves, and then begin to wail, cry, and screech, with 
an earnestness that would make a careless observer suppose 
them to be truly sincere in their sympathetic lamentations. 
Generally, however, their eyes are not much bedimmed with 
tears. In the midst of the pretended grief, they will stop 
their wailing, and commence smoking, snuffing, and drinking, 
and then return to their howling lamentations. Such is the 
'Irish wake,' varying, however, somewhat, according to the 
circumstances of the parties interested. 

"If the deceased be a young girl, when about to be 
interred, the relatives of the dead pick out a certain number 
of girls of nearly the same age. These are all dressed in 
white. The fairest of them is then selected, and termed 
queen. She carries in her hand a long, slender staff, on 
the upper end of which is what is called a garland. It is 
made of paper, fancifully trimmed with such flowers as the 
season may afford. If the distance is not great, the young 
maidens themselves bear the coffin to the church-yard. 
When the grave is filled, the garland-staff is then stuck 
in the earth, at the head of the same, by the hands 
of the queen ; and there it rests till wind, and rain, and time 
cause it to fall to dust ; for it would be deemed sacrilegious 
for any one to disturb it. When brought into the church- 
yard, it is usual to carry the corpse three times round the 
yard ; and sometimes, to confer more particular honor, it is 
carried round nine times, the people all following it, many 
of whom repeat certain prayers at the same time. These 
practices, however, were rarely observed, except by the 
Irish peasantry." 

An American lady, who made an excursion through in 
1845, gives the following graphic account of a wake which 
she attended, which shows that the custom still prevails. 
This one, it would seem, was among the "better sort" of 
people : 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



23 



"An aged woman, the mother of a shopkeeper, died 
when I was there. Ninety years had whitened her locks. 
She had been a useful mother — trained her children to 
habits of industry, and lived to see them thriving in business 
and respected in the world. On her tongue had been the 
law of kindness, and her hands were always stretched out 
to the poor and needy. From many miles round the rich 
and the poor assembled. 'Never,' said one, 'when I was a 
slip of a boy, did I go on mornings to buy the loaf at her 
shop, but she put a bit of bread in my hand to eat by the 
way home.' She was laid in an upper chamber, upon a 
bed covered with white. She was dressed in a dark brown 
frock, with white ruffles at the wrist. A square cloth, 
fringed with white, was on her breast, with the initials of 
the order of the "Blessed Virgin," to which she belonged. 
A neat white cap, with black ribbon, and a white handker- 
chief about her neck, finished the dress. Curtains of white, 
tied with black ribbon, were about her bed ; and the usual 
appendages of candles and consecrated clay, were at the 
foot, with a picture of the Virgin and Child hanging over 
her head. 

" The house was large. Every room was occupied ; and 
though the attendants were gathering from neighboring 
parishes, through the night, yet all was stillness. 'In 
former days,' whispered an aged matron, 'ye would not 
see it so. Before Father Mathew put down the whisky, 
it would frighten the life of ye. A bucket of whisky would 
be on the flure, with a cup in it ; and not a sowl of 'em but 
would take the sup till their brain would be cracked. And 
then the singin', the jumpin', and tearin', till the priest 
would be called in, with his whip, and bate 'em, till all was 
quiet !' Here was no liquor but cordials. A warm supper 
in the different rooms was prepared, and every new guest 
was invited to partake. At five a breakfast of steak, ham, 



24 



MEMOIR OP REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



and fowl was prepared for the nearer friends, and those 
who were to accompany the corpse seven miles, where it 
was to be interred. 

" The corpse was then put in a coffin of black, with the 
consecrated clay about it. The family . came in and gave 
her the parting kiss. One servant, who had been a laborer 
about the premises for years, went to the coffin — looked at 
her for a moment — kissed her — then covered his face with 
both hands, and burst into loud weeping. 'Well may he 
cry, poor Pat,' said a servant girl; 'for many a good bit has 
he had from her hand ; and when I came to the side of her 
bed, a few days ago, she said, "Do take care of poor Pat, 
and see that he has enough to eat. I am afraid he will be 
neglected when I am gone. v ' Poor Pat was simple. 
These testimonials of kindness to the poor are precious 
mementoes of the dead, and will be held in sweet remem- 
brance, when the memory of the oppressor shall rot." (Ex- 
cursions through Ireland, by Asenath Nicholson, p. 93.) 

The education of William, under the direction of his 
mother, was attended to with considerable care. His taste 
for reading was early acquired, and remarkably strong, and 
continued unabated through life. Before he was fifteen 
years old he had acquired a fine library of choice books. 
History, biography, romance, and poetry were all devoured 
by him, with the greediness of an epicure. As usual with 
children, imagination predominated. The love of the mar- 
velous was strong ; and, in early boyhood, Robinson Crusoe, 
Gulliver among the Lilliputians, and Bunyan's Pilgrim's 
Progress were read by him with equal interest and avidity. 

His love of the marvelous found a further gratification in 
the legendary tales of the days of St. Patrick ; and in the 
social circles there were stories of recent apparitions, well 
authenticated, as was supposed. Mr. Gurley, in advanced 
life, frequently referred to the strong belief of the Irish of 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



25 



the last century in supernatural appearances ; and he would 
sometimes detail, for the entertainment of the fireside circle, 
an account of some of those midnight apparitions, "whose 
lightest word would harrow up his soul, freeze his young 
blood, and make each hair stand separate and erect, like 
quills upon the fretted porcupine" — tales which were at 
once the charm and the terror of the nursery. 

Ireland is remarkable for its fairies and goblins. The 
middle and lower classes were firm believers in these noc- 
turnal visitors. Elfs and fairies were believed to exert a 
mighty influence. They are described as spirits of puny 
dimensions, but remarkably nimble. They usually meet by 
moonlight in jovial companies, ride on moon-beams, and 
dance in merry circles on the dewy lawn or church-yard 
green. 

Sometimes clad in the armor of knights, with helmet, 
shield, and spear, they throng the air, bent on deeds of 
chivalry. If an infant is pale, feeble, or sickly, it is fairy- 
stricken. They are thought to be the friends of the honest, 
the good, and especially of those who relieve the poor. 

Dermoody, a young Irish poet of great promise, who 
died in the morning of life, refers to these imaginary people 
in a poem, which is exquisitely beautiful. The piece may 
be found in some editions of " Carr's Stranger in Ireland," 
commencing with the following lines : 

" Minions of moonlight, let my slow steps steal 
Unseen and silent on your secret sports." 

When asked by the curious if he had ever seen a ghost, 
Mr. Gurley usually narrated, with great gravity, the follow- 
ing, which is here given from his own manuscript : 

"When about ten years of age, I was sent, about 
eleven o'clock at night, with a horse to a certain pasture. 
I must, of necessity, pass through an old church-yard bury- 
ing-ground. The large gate which led into the ground, was 

3 



26 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



fastened with a stone on the inside. I had to climb over 
the gate and remove the stone. This was soon done. I 
passed on a few yards between the graves, when, lifting my 
head, I beheld — 0, dreadful sight ! — right before me stood 
an awful spectre, all over white. It was standing on a 
tombstone, and appeared to me to be ten or twelve feet 
high. What could it be ? The horse saw it and started. I 
now began to tremble and weep. I must pass within two 
yards of the monster. I advanced a step or two, when the 
spectre uttered a most unearthly sound, which made my 
flesh creep and my heart throb. In profound silence, the ap- 
parition now stared at me with eyes flaming like two meteors. 
Tears fell fast. It now occurred to me, that, as my father 
and some other relations were buried there, perhaps they 
would not permit the spirit to hurt me. 

" Go I must some thirty rods further amongst the graves 
of the dead. 'God bless me,' said I, 'and keep me from 
all evil spirits.' Tradition had handed it down as matter of 
fact, that between eleven o'clock at night and daybreak all 
ghosts and fairies are permitted to go abroad. I may, 
therefore, have credit for some courage for proceeding 
in such a place at such an hour. I now began to think, 
perhaps the ghost might have something to say to me. 
So, summoning up all my courage, I determined to address 
it in the name of the Holy Trinity. But, ah ! the foul fiend, 
when I came a little closer, suddenly leaped from its solemn 
footstool, and I found it to be a huge gray goat, which fed 
in the church-yard. My blood, which, a moment before, 
was frozen with terror, now boiled with vexation at the in- 
nocent author of my dreadful fright. Doubtless, most of 
the apparitions which fill with wonder and terror the imag- 
inations of the more ignorant Irish, are similar to the above." 

When about eleven years old, William became the sub- 
ject of deep religious impressions. Young as he was, it 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



27 



was his practice, frequently, after returning from Church on 
the Sabbath, to take some religious book, and, repairing to 
some secluded spot beyond the suburbs of the town, spend 
some time in reading, meditation, and prayer. The follow- 
ing is his own account of one of those excursions : 

"One Sunday afternoon I went out about a mile from 
the town. In my hand I had a little book of two ser- 
mons on Deuteronomy xxxii, 29 : ' O that they were wise, 
that they understood this, that they would consider their 
latter end.' Climbing over a gate, I sat down in a ravine 
to read and pray. Here, while meditating and praying, my 
mind was in deep distress. Suddenly I thought I heard 
the sound of most delightful music, like the sound of many 
sweet voices. I lifted up my heart to God, when, at once, 
all my distress of mind was gone. I soon forgot all my 
sorrow — my unbelief had departed— joy and peace filled 
my little heart. Joyful in soul, time passed unnoticed by; 
for when I looked behind me, the sun was setting ; so I rose 
and went toward home." 

The delightful change which was wrought on his heart, 
evinced itself in the interest he now felt for others; for 
he relates that, on his return home, when he came to the 
brow of the hill which overlooks the city, he became so 
much affected with the reflection of how many there were 
there who were strangers to true religion, that he could 
not restrain his tears ; so, turning aside into a field, he knelt 
down by a hedge, and prayed for the conversion of the 
whole population. 

On his arrival at home, he communicated his happy 
change to his mother, and proposed to have prayer morning 
and evening in the family. She listened to his proposal 
with mingled emotions of doubt, gratitude, and astonish- 
ment, and cheerfully gave her consent. This service he 
continued to perform, regularly, until he went to a trade. 



28 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



0, wliat a blessing is a pious mother ! Had Mrs. Gurley, in 
this case, met with a cold, repulsive answer this unexpected 
offer of her little son, to erect an altar to the Lord — had 
she reminded him of his youth and incapacity to perform, 
in a proper manner, so solemn a service, the consequences 
to him might have been fatal. It would be pouring, not 
oil, but cold water on the holy flame which God had 
kindled in his heart. 

His mode of conducting worship was to read a portion of 
the holy Scriptures, then, kneeling, offer up, in his own 
simple and artless manner, a prayer for such things as he 
felt or believed desirable and needful, concluding always 
by solemnly repeating the Lord's prayer. This was the 
origin of a practice he continued to the close of life. The 
repetition of the Lord's prayer he was never known, in 
family worship, to omit. How important that parents 
nurse, with tender interest, the first serious impressions of 
their children — giving all needful instruction — striving to 
fan the promethean spark into a living flame ! 

It is a serious mistake into which some have fallen, that 
very early piety is of doubtful character; whereas, it is 
indisputably true, that many of the brightest ornaments of 
our holy religion, in both Europe and America, were re- 
markable for their early consecration to God. The cele- 
brated Robert Hall was decidedly religious at ten years of 
age; and when but a little past sixteen, was "set apart" to 
the work of. the ministry. Dr. Adam Clarke was early con- 
verted to God. The learned and eloquent Mr. John Fletcher 
was, according to his own account, converted when about 
seven years old; and his wife, a woman distinguished for 
her eminent talents and holiness, was intelligently pious at 
about the same age. The first religious impress of children 
should be sedulously cherished ; and if the flame, kindled in 
their youthful bosoms, should prove evanescent, they cannot 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



29 



say it was quenched by a parent's hand ; while the exam- 
ples of Samuel and Timothy, and many other distinguished 
and illustrious men, afford the highest encouragement to 
parents to cherish the first budding of piety in the hearts of 
their beloved and tender offspring. 



30 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



CHAPTER II. 

William becomes an apprentice — Declines in piety — Class formed 
in Wexford — Is reclaimed under a prayer by Mr. Wesley — Becomes 
a leader — Sabbath duties — His acquaintance with Mr. Wesley — 
Defends bim from an assault — Wesley licenses bim to preacb — 
Reflections on local preachers — Their benefit to the Church — Irish 
conference invites him to travel — Reasons for declining — Moral 
and religious state of Ireland — Experience of a mountaineer — An- 
ecdote of Wesleyan preacher and parson — Mr. Gurley visits Eng- 
land — Storm at sea — Joseph Benson — Death of Wesley — Rev. John 
Miller and a high-way robber — Mr. Gurley's encounter with a ruffian 
at an inn — Commences business in Wexford — Catholic priest in a 
dilemma — Relieved by Mr. Gurley — His marriage. 

At the age of sixteen William became an apprentice to 
the silversmith and jewelry business. His piety continued 
with unabated ardor until he was nearly out of his time of 
service, when, by mingling in jovial company, he, for a 
season, brought darkness on his mind, and lost his "crown 
of rejoicing." He describes his state subsequently as very 
dangerous and deplorable : 

"After I was out of my apprenticeship, I was in a very 
distressed state of mind. I seemed, at times, to be per- 
fectly indifferent as to what God might do with my soul. I 
remember, at one time, when it was thundering, and the 
lightning flashing around me in an awful manner, I wished 
to die, and even dared the Almighty to strike me dead. O, 
the little worm I was, to dare Omnipotence ! How true the 
words of inspiration : " The spirit of a man may sustain his 
infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?' " 

In a short time, however, reason and conscience regained 
their ascendency, and he renewed his covenant with God. 
But, for some months, he walked in darkness, and had no 
light. But he abstained from all immoral practices and 
vain company, attended sacrament at the Established 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



31 



Church, and sought the society of the religious ; and when 
any of the Wesleyan preachers visited the town to preach, 
he attended the meeting. 

Up to this time, it seems, no society had been organized 
in Wexford, or, if so, it had ceased to exist ; although the 
local preachers, and occasionally the traveling ministers, 
had preached there for years. Mr. Gurley always attributed 
his decline in piety principally to the want of Christian 
friends to take him by the hand, and encourage, instruct, 
and comfort him, by their example and advice. 

The benefit of Christian society to the young convert is 
incalculable; without it, few, comparatively, who profess 
Christ, would endure. It is of the highest importance that 
the young Christian should cultivate the closest intimacy 
with the truly pious, and unite with the Church as soon as 
practicable. The youthful professor who refuses to unite 
with the people of God, or is unnecessarily delaying that 
important duty, stands on the brink of a precipice; he is 
precisely where Satan wishes him to be ; he is balancing on 
the pivot of his destiny, and nothing but prompt and deci- 
sive action can save him. He must enter the ark, or the 
floods of rising temptation will sweep him away. 

Soon after Mr. G. renewed his covenant with God, a 
class was organized. In reference to the state of his mind, 
and the formation of a society, he gives the following 
account : 

" I now began to revive, but it was to suffer. Truly the 
arrows of the Almighty were sticking fast in my soul. 
Remorse of conscience, beyond any thing I can express, 
weighed down my spirits. From June, 1783, till April, 
1785, none but God and myself know what anguish I 
underwent. 

"In September, 1784, a Mr. James Deaves, who had for 
many years been a member of the Wesleyan society, came 



32 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



to reside at Wexford. He forwarded a request to the con- 
ference to have regular preaching in the city. Accordingly, 
the Rev. Thomas Tattershall, a traveling preacher, came, 
and formed the society of ten members. I was the second 
who rose to join. I well recollect the questions proposed 
by the preacher, and my answers to them. It may not be 
uninteresting, at this distant period, to refer to them : 

" Question. 'What are your motives for uniting with the 
Methodist society?' 

"Answer. ' I see myself a poor sinner ; I desire salvation, 
and wish to place myself under their watch-care and in- 
struction.' 

" Q. 1 Do you believe in the present forgiveness of sin, 
and the witness of the Holy Spirit?' 

"A. 'I believe the Lord Jesus Christ came into the 
world, to give the knowledge of salvation and the remission 
of sin.' 

" Q. ' Do you believe in a further state of grace, to be 
attained in this life?' 

"A. 'I do. The sanctification of soul, body, and 
spirit.' 

" Q. ' Do you believe it possible to continue in that 
state of holiness?' 

"A. 'I do; for Christ said to Paul, "My grace is suffi- 
cient for thee." ' 

" Q. ' Do you believe it is possible to fall from that 
state ?' 

"A. 'Yes; for the apostle says, "Let him that thinketh 
he standeth take heed lest he fall." ' 

" I observed, however, that .he questioned me somewhat 
more particularly than he did some others; but of his 
reasons for so doing I was not aware. 

" He found me in a deplorable state of mind ; but he 
was a loving and tender-hearted man, and gave me such 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



33 



advice and instruction as my condition and circumstances 
required." 

From September to the ensuing April, Mr. Gurley con- 
tinued to attend class, and other means of grace. His 
uncle Gird, though a Whitefieldite, was leader of the class ; 
but his mind was still in gloom and darkness, with occa- 
sional glimpses of light and hope. But he knew there was 
a state of peace, and he resolved to seek till he should once 
more find his "crown of rejoicing." 

It was at this time that he first had the honor of forming 
an acquaintance with the venerable founder of Methodism. 
He had seen him and heard him preach when but a boy ; 
but now he was providentially permitted to meet with him, 
and to find his labors a lasting blessing to his soul. He 
thus refers to the occasion : 

"About this time Mr. Wesley passed through Ireland, 
and the city of Waterford was one place to which he had 
forwarded an appointment. Our preacher, Mr. Tattershall, 
invited me to go with him there, and meet Mr. Wesley. 

" We reached Waterford on Friday, and were introduced 
to him at his lodgings. I remember well that a lady was 
present in the room, singing 'Wrestling Jacob,' when Mr. 
Wesley rose to meet us. He received me with the greatest 
condescension — took me cordially by the hand. I cannot 
describe what I felt at that time. The hand of George III 
would not have been a thousandth part as acceptable to me, 
for I had always been taught to regard him, even from my 
infancy, as the greatest and holiest man in the world. 

" I had heard him preach in the court-house in Wexford 
when I was but a child ; but from that time I had never 
seen him until the present. But length of years or distance 
from him could never banish him from my mind, or abate 
my regard for him; and now, that near eighty years have 
passed ftver me, his memory is as dear to me as ever. 



34 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



" Mr. Wesley gave us his company until tea was over ; 
then I had the pleasure of hearing him preach ; but his text 
is forgotten. He preached again, the next morning, at five 
o'clock; and at nine o'clock Mr. George Whitefield, who 
was with him, held forth. 

" I dined with Mr. Wesley, on Saturday, at Mr. Deaves'. 
On Sunday, Mr. Wesley preached at the end of the Mall. 
He stood on a table, and I sat at one end of it, at his side. 
His subject was from the whole of the thirteenth chapter 
of 1st Corinthians. It was a most able discourse — just the 
same as is printed. 

" We had also a love-feast on Sunday. To me it was a 
time of great hope and expectation. It was hope believing 
against hope ; but the time of deliverance now drew near. 
The love-feast was held in an upper room of a private 
dwelling. It was the first I had ever attended, and I was 
excited, and greatly wondered at the speaking of the people ; 
but I could only sigh and mourn. A woman now burst 
into tears, and requested Mr. Wesley to pray for her. She 
and I kneeled down, and the venerable servant of God 
prayed most earnestly for us both. I arose happy, full of 
joy and peace in believing. I was all alive and all love, 
and thought I should never know trouble or sorrow more ; 
but 0, what have I since passed through ! but still I stand 
on the ' Rock of Ages.' 

" On Monday morning I went to take leave of Mr. 
Wesley, as he was to be in Kilkenny that afternoon. He 
shook me by the hand very affectionately, and bade me 'be 
faithful.' Beside Mr. Whitefield and a Mr. Jackson, who 
traveled with him, there w r ere several other traveling; and 
local preachers present, and members from distant societies 
assembled to bid him adieu, and see him depart. Tears 
filled my eyes as he drove off, and I could scarce help 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM OURLEY. 



35 



crying out, 'My father, my father! the chariot of Israel 
and the horsemen thereof!' " 

Soon after this he was appointed leader of the class in 
his native city. He had now an opportunity to improve 
his gifts in prayer and exhortation, which he did with great 
solicitude. 

It now devolved on him, in the absence of the preacher, 
to conduct the public service. This was done by reading 
one of Mr. Wesley's sermons, together with singing and 
prayer. The following is his account of the manner in 
which he employed his Sabbaths, and of his appointments 
when in charge of the society : 

"About two years after I found peace, a Mr. William 
M'Cormick was appointed to Wexford circuit. He expressed 
a desire that I should become leader of the class. This I 
refused, urging that my uncle was so much more experi- 
enced than myself. Still he insisted. But God soon settled 
that question; for an old complaint which my uncle had 
soon confined him to his bed. So all the business of the 
society devolved on me. It was now I had to read, pray, 
watch, and call on God for help. It was the next year, I 
think, Mr. David Gordon w T as stationed on the circuit. We 
then had a class of about thirty members. These were 
again divided into bands. My Sabbath employment was as 
follows : meet my band at six, and continue till public meet- 
ing or morning preaching was over. At nine o'clock came 
home to breakfast. I then went to visit those members of 
the class who were absent on the Sabbath before. I then 
visited such families as were not opposed to us ; conversed 
with them on the subject of religion, and asked the privilege 
of uniting with them in prayer. It was rare that any 
objected. In this way whole families have been won over 
to our societies. This would occupy mc till Church time, 



30 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEV. 



which was eleven o'clock. Here we would be detained until 
one o'clock. From thence to meet my class. Came home 
to dinner at three, which was our usual horn*. After dinner 
call on delinquent members whom I could not see in the 
morning. Then, at five o'clock, go and meet a class of 
British soldiers. Then come home to tea. After tea was 
over, go to public meeting at seven o'clock, evening, and 
stay till between eight and nine o'clock. So home to supper. 
Thus, for years, have I spent my days with profit and 
delight. Some days I have bowed my knees in prayer 
twenty or thirty times — a most pleasing toil, indeed. Then 
it was that my 'winter nights and summer days glided 
imperceptibly away.' I had no care of worldly business 
on my mind. My employers appointed me my work, and I 
did it, without further thought or solicitude." 

The above is indeed a beautiful picture of industry and 
happiness. Mr'. Gr. was now not far from thirty. He had 
not yet set up business for himself, and was still unmar- 
ried. The method he pursued on the Sabbath affords some 
light on what was expected of class-leaders, in the days of 
early Methodism. The practice of making visits to absent 
or delinquent members on the Sabbath might be imitated to 
good advantage in many of our stations. The leader of a 
class is, in fact, the pastor's assistant, appointed to aid in 
the pastoral work of admonition, instruction, and reproof, 
in his absence ; hence the propriety of their appointment 
by the pastor in charge, who is held responsible for the 
faithful performance of that work. Absentees thus visited, 
if detained by sickness or family affliction, will be comforted 
by the sympathy and prayer of their leader; while careless 
or willful delinquents, thus promptly pursued, will either 
soon reform, or cease to continue a burden and pernicious 
example to the Church of Christ. 

Another visit of Mr. Wesley to Ireland is thus alluded 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



37 



to by Mr. Gurley: "It was, I think, in the year 1787 that 
Mr. Wesley came again to Wexford. I had no idea that 
he would know me, after two years, absence, passing, as he 
did, among so many thousands of persons ; yet, such was 
his memory, that he knew me in the street — stopped the 
coach — put out his hand, and shook mine with great cordi- 
ality. He preached in a large room of the market-house, 
and administered the Lord's supper to the society. 0, it 
was a good time, and many were deeply affected. As I 
was conducting him to his lodging, one evening, a drunken 
Papist came up to us, with a thorny bush in his hand. I 
saw it, and guessed his intention. The fellow presented 
the bush to Mr. Wesley, saying, '0, sir, see what a fine 
smell this bush has!' 'Begone, you scoundrel,' said I, 'or 
I will knock you down.' He drew back and went away. 
When a short distance off, Mr. Wesley said to me, * Brother 
Gurley, why did you speak after that manner to the man?' 
'Sir,' said I, 'if I had not prevented him, he would have 
thrust the thorns into your face and eyes, wounding or per- 
haps blinding you.' 'Why would he wish to hurt me?' 
said Mr. Wesley. I replied, ' Sir, you know the devil hates 
you, and of course so do his children.' " 

Up to this time Mr. Gurley had never attempted to 
preach, but had, before the society, occasionally given an 
exhortation. His acceptability and promise were such, that 
Mr. Wesley deemed it safe and expedient to authorize him 
to expound the Scriptures. He says : 

" At one time, during this visit of Mr. Wesle} 7 , Harry 
Moore and myself were sitting together on a sofa, when 
Mr. W. inquired of me the number and state of the so- 
ciety. I told him, and also that on Sabbath I usually 
read one of his short sermons, or half of one of the longer 
ones. Mr. Wesley remarked that he believed his sermons 
were tho best extant for the societies. ' But,' continued 

4 



38 



MEMOIR OF RET. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



he, 'brother, you will hereafter lay them aside, and speak 
yourself to the people.' A word from the heart will reach 
the heart. 0, hoAv it made me shed tears, to think that 
he "would prefer my weak babblings to his own elaborate 
sermons ! Thus I had the authority of one of the greatest 
divines in the world to speak in his Church. I looked on 
the world as his parish, and felt, as one of his sons in the 
Gospel, I had a right to speak wherever I had opportunity. 
I now applied all the time I could spare to the study of 
the Bible, Wesley's Notes, and Fletcher's Works." 

Previous to this time Mr. Gurley had been deeply im- 
pressed that it was his duty to preach. The word was as 
a fire shut up in his bones ; and several dreams, of a remark- 
able character, tended to strengthen this conviction. The 
request, therefore, by Mr. Wesley, came to him at the very 
time when his mind was exercised on this subject, and he 
regarded it as the call of God. Thus was Mr. Gurley 
authorized to preach. ISTo written license was then given, 
not even to the traveling preachers. But his name was 
printed on the "plan." He visited various places in Ireland 
and England, and God gave him seals to his ministry. 

The local ministry is an admirable feature of Methodism. 
From the beginning local preachers have been powerful 
auxiliaries in the work of spreading, defending, and sustain- 
ing our doctrines, usages, .and institutions. Nor are they 
less valuable to the Church now than formerly. They are, 
if possible, even more needful, not to say essential, to the 
cause, as the Church progresses in numbers and influence. 
A volume would scarce be sufficient to show their conse- 
quence to our system. They have been continually the 
pioneers of the Church, especially in this country. In the 
village, the city, and the wilderness, they have generally 
had the honor of preceding the itinerancy, in planting the 
Rose of Sharon; and, in innumerable instances, have col- 



0 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



39 



lected the scattered sheep — brought others from sin to the 
fold, and then, sending for the regular pastors, have given 
them up to their charge. Through their labors, which are 
wholly gratuitous, preaching on the Sabbath is kept up in 
thousands of places where, else, there would be none. 

The local ministry is a nursery for the itinerancy — a sort 
of military school, where the youthful warrior is trained for 
future toil and conquest. Such a state of trial is alike 
indicated by the dictates of reason and the results of obser- 
vation. Many, who, had they advanced at once from the or- 
dinary vocations of life into the responsibilities, cares, and toils 
of the regular ministry, would probably have failed by early 
discouragements, have, by the trial of their strength and 
the practice of their weapons in the local ranks, become, at 
length, the brightest ornaments of our itinerancy, and able 
leaders of the hosts of our Israel. The young warrior, in 
the first moments of battle, may lose his self-possession. 
The interest, and the novelty, and the terror of the sur- 
rounding scene may embarrass him. He may fumble awk- 
wardly for his arrows. His hand may tremble as he bends 
his bow, and his arrow fly wide of the mark. But expe- 
rience gives firmness to his nerves, and lightning to his eye, 
and power to his arm, and he is terrible in war. 

This arrangement harmonizes our doctrine and our prac- 
tice. We hold that God calls men to preach the Gospel. 
But what could we do with those who are satisfied of their 
call, and give evidence of their qualifications, for whom 
there is no room in the itinerant ranks ? Thousands of such, 
were it not for the local ministry, would be driven to other 
Churches, or bury their talents. Moreover, many, whose 
taste or circumstances would not allow them to become 
traveling preachers, have, nevertheless, been in labors more 
abundant, and through a long life, without fee or reward 
from man, have preached to thousands, in the city and the 



40 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



wilderness, the unsearchable riches of Christ. In many 
instances their names may be unknown to history, but their 
record is on high ; and in the day when the great Redeemer 
shall make up his jewels, they shall be found in the ranks 
of those who have turned many to righteousness, and 
"shall shine as the stars, for ever and ever." 

Mr. Gurley, though frequently solicited, never entered 
the itinerant connection. About the time he was authorized 
to officiate as a local preacher, he established himself in 
business in Wexford, and, as it appears, was not willing to 
relinquish his worldly prospects and give himself wholly to 
the work. In after years he thought this was an error, as 
the following extract will show : 

"A new pair of preachers came to our circuit from the 
yearly conference at Dublin. They let me know that con- 
ference would find me horse, saddle, etc., and that a circuit 
was ready for me. 

"But no — I could not be persuaded. I had an aged, 
feeble mother to care for, and a loving class to oversee, 
several of whom were my own children in the Gospel, with 
no one suitable for a leader. To abandon them, I could 
not endure the thought. Besides, I had a good trade com- 
menced, and several hands employed, and did not like to 
quit all and throw myself for support on the feeble societies. 

"Thus, I must confess, though not ignorant of duty, I 
put it aside, and erroneously chose to be one of those whom 
Christ accounted not worthy of him — one who would not 
forsake father, mother, and houses, and lands, for his sake 
and the Gospel. But were I young again, and had fifty 
years to live, I would start at the first call." 

There was a period when the Irish Church was pure and 
independent — free alike from the superstitions, corruptions, 
and dominion of the Roman See. It is true, Pope Adrian 
IV, in the twelfth century, in his celebrated bull, or letter, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



41 



to Henry, claims them as of right belonging to "St. Peter 
and the Church of Rome." It is true that St. Patrick, 
who was chiefly instrumental in converting the ancient Irish 
from their Druidical superstition to the Christian faith, is 
said to have received ordination from Celestine, a bishop of 
Rome, in the fourth century. But it does not appear that 
he considered this as at all binding him to allegiance to the 
Church at Rome, or as restricting in any degree his free 
agency as a minister of the Gospel. Nor did Celestine 
attempt, on this account, to claim dominion or authority 
over the Church of Ireland. Moreover, the Church of 
Rome under Celestine in the fourth century, and the Church 
of Rome under Adrian in the twelfth, may justly be said 
to have been different Churches. 

For nearly a thousand years did the Irish clergy assert 
and maintain their independence. These were the palmiest 
days of Ireland; and it was not until Rome and England 
combined for the purpose, that the yoke of Papal jurisdic- 
tion was forced upon her neck. From that hour her glory 
waned. Her literature declined, and her religion became 
corrupt.* The clergy now rapidly degenerated ; obsequious 

*" That the Church founded by St. Patrick in Ireland was truly 
national, apostolical, and independent, is obvious from the testi- 
mony of various writers upon Irish ecclesiastic affairs. To put 
an end to this Church required the presence of a foreign army and 
a potent invader, and the address and cunning of a practiced 
intriguer — the boldness and power of Henry, and the fraud and 
falsehood of Adrian ; to build it up required only the individual 
zeal and devotedness of Patrick, and the force of truth. The 
national Church of Ireland fell before the united power of England 
and Rome. These accomplices afterward quarreled, and have since 
been contending for the prey, which in those days they succeeded 
to entrap. 

" The ancient Church of Ireland, like the Churches of the apos- 
tolic age, exacted no tithe, but was supported. by the voluntary 
offerings of the people. Its bishops, also, like the bishops of that 
period, had, for the most part, authority over one Church or con- 

4* 



42 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



to the Roman See, they sunk into ignorance and credulity, 
and a vast mass of superstitious observances characterized 
the great body of the people. Nor does it appear that the 
partial success of England, in planting her Protestant colo- 
nies there, much improved this state of things. 

The state of morals and religion in Ireland, when the 
Wesleys commenced their evangelical labors there, was 
deplorable in the extreme. The punch-cup, whisky-bowl, 
fiddler, bagpipe, and shilala, were universal and indispensa- 
ble ministers of gratification on all public occasions. From 
the carousals of St. Patrick's day, or the drunken brawls of a 
public fair, they crowded to the confessional and to mass ; 
and then, as if borrowing new license to sin at the foot of 
the cross, they returned with renewed vigor to their intem- 
perance and debauchery. And if, among the higher classes 
of the Catholic Church, there were some who did not stoop 

gregation only. They were called choressis, cossi, or village or 
parish bishops — or, generally speaking, what we should now call 
rectors. Of these the number in Ireland exceeded three hundred. 
These bishops, too, were mostly married men, as was the case in 
the first Christian Churches. All these are the evidences of the 
simple and apostolical character of the ancient Church of Ire- 
land — a Church disclaiming human authorities, and acknowl- 
edging no superior but almighty God. 

"She possessed numerous colleges, where learning and religion 
were cultivated; and with a generosity seldom equaled, she 
afforded to indigent foreigners the means of support as well as 
instruction. And when the ravages of the northern barbarians 
upon the continent, and of the Danes in England, permitted a 
breathing time, she sent forth, at every opportunity, men eminent 
for piety and learning, to keep alive some seed of Christianity 
abroad. The Church of Ireland extended her concern over all the 
Churches of Europe at this period, but assumed no authority over 
them. She attended, also, to the interests of learning, and chiefly 
by her zeal a number of colleges were founded on the continent; 
and she continued for a long time to supply them with able, pious, 
and learned professors. In England she was equally active; and 
Alfred, if not educated in Ireland, as there is some reason to 
think, knew how to value her acquirements. He invited and 



MEMOIR OF REV. AVILLIAM GURLEY. 



13 



to such degrading and debasing practices, they were the 
few; while it is incontestibly true that such was the con- 
dition of the masses of society. 

The Protestant Church, as it regarded experimental 
religion, was but little better than the Catholic. What 
could be expected of the flocks whose spiritual shepherds 
employed their time in drinking wine, playing at cards, 
dancing, and fox-hunting, which were common amusements 
with the clergy generally of that day? The Presbyterians 
and Quakers were, indeed, more reserved and moral; but 
even among them Scriptural holiness was little understood 
or enjoyed. Ireland furnished a stony soil for the labors of 
the W esleyan preachers. In many places the Gospel seed 
found no depth of earth, and perished where it fell. Yet, 
spots of good ground were not wanting; and here an en- 
couraging harvest rewarded the toil and tears of the laborer. 
In most of the villages and large towns societies sprang up. 

encouraged the learned missionaries of Ireland to bring into order 
the Church and colleges of his kingdom. 

" This was the age of Ireland's glory, for it was the age of her 
political and religious independence. 

" The work of putting an end to her monarchy and destroying 
her independence, was reserved for Henry; and by leaguing with 
Rome, to her Church also. It is true, the popes had been busy in 
Ireland before this period; but the little success which had at- 
tended their efforts is, perhaps, the true secret of the bull of 
Adrian IV, of infamous memory. This pontiff most likely con- 
ceived that the readiest way to bring the Irish Church into obedi- 
ence to the Roman See, was to urge Henry to the conquest of the 
kingdom. He was right; there is a sympathy of slavery as of 
freedom. When the spirit of a nation bows to a civil yoke, it is 
predisposed to submit to ecclesiastical dominion. The dominion 
of Rome was never fully established in Ireland till Henry was 
declared her liege lord, at the head of a powerful army. The first 
work of Henry, upon his invasion, was to procure a council of 
the Irish Church. At this council the national Church of Ireland, 
which had been free for nearly a thousand years, received the 
yoke of Rome." (Imperial Magazine, A. D. 1827, page 906.) 



44 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Yet there were many counties where Romanism wholly 
prevailed, and scarce a Protestant could be found. But 
even into those places, unpropitious as they were, the invin- 
cible courage and strong faith of the early Wesleyan mis- 
sionaries carried the standard of the cross, and won vic- 
tories. Even the mountain Catholics, deemed inaccessible to 
truth and light, were sometimes awakened, and brought 
under the transforming influence of the Gospel of the 
blessed God. 

Mr. Gurley gives the following account of one of those 
" mountaineers :" 

"I heard of an old man who had once been a wicked 
Papist, but who, as I was informed, had become a Meth- 
odist. He lived far up in the mountains ; so one day, obtain- 
ing a guide who knew him, but who had not seen him for 
many years, we set out to pay him a visit. It was some 
eight or ten miles ; so up into the mountains we went, and 
found the old man and his Bible together. We had a good 
time with him. He related to us his conversion, not only 
from sin and Satan, but also from Popery. 

" He was going, as he said, with his fiddle to a dance, to 
play for the company. But, having to pass by the door of 
a dwelling-house where a Methodist meeting had just com- 
menced, he paused opposite the door for a moment to 
listen to the singing, and was so much interested that, with 
his fiddle under his arm, he ventured into the house, and 
took a seat near the door, that he might retire at any mo- 
ment, if he thought best to do so. 

" The prayer, which was warm, tender, and conciliatory, 
pleased him, and he concluded to remain and hear, at least, 
a part of the sermon. But, in the midst of the discourse, 
which was convincing and powerful, he became so much 
excited that he could no longer keep his seat. He rose up 
and came forward toward where the preacher was standing, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



45 



and cried aloud for mercy. He threw down his fiddle on 
the floor, stamped on it, and broke it all in pieces, and never 
went to a dance after. 

" But he soon after went to a meeting, Avhere he read his 
renunciation of Popery, and related what God had done for 
his soul. His brother, a Roman Catholic priest, did all in 
his power to bring him back to Popery, and even threatened 
to have him * cursed with bell, book, and candle-light.' But 
he replied to him, that he cared not a pin for all they could 
do ; he had found Christ, and he was content." 

To be excommunicated with " bell, book, and candle-light," 
as it is called, is, in the Roman Catholic Church, a most 
serious affair.* 

* A copy of an excommunication, found among the papers of 
Philip Dunn, a Roman Catholic bishop, of the county Wicklow, 
will afford the reader some idea of the terror it is intended to 
inspire in the breast of Catholics, and gives melancholy evidence 
of the revengeful spirit with which the authorities of the Church 
pursue those who honestly differ in opinion with them. It is 
taken from the British Imperial Magazine, 1823, p. 930: 

"By authority of God, the Father almighty, and the blessed 
Virgin Mary, of St. Peter and St. Paul, and of all the holy saints, 
we excommunicate Francis Freeman, late of the city of Dublin, 
but now of Sackmill, in the county of Wicklow: that, in spite of 
God and St. Peter, in spite of all the holy saints, and in spite of our 
Holy Father, the Pope, God's vicar here on earth, and in spite of 
our Right Rev. Father in God, Philip Dunn, our Diocesan, and the 
worshipful Canons, etc., who serve God daily, he hath apostatized 
to a most damnable religion, full of heresy and blasphemy. Ex- 
communicated let him be, and delivered over to the devil as a per- 
petual malefactor and schismatic. 

"Cursed let him be in all cities and in all towns, in fields, in 
ways, in yards, in houses, and all other places, whether lying or 
rising, walking or running, leaning or standing, waking or sleep- 
ing, eating or drinking, or in whatsoever thing lie does besides. 
We separate him from the threshold, and all good prayers of the 
Church — from the participation of the holy Jesus — from all sa- 
craments, chapels, and altars — from holy bread, and holy water, 
and all the merits of God's holy priests, and all holy men, and 
from all cloisters — from all pardons, privileges, grants, and immu- 



46 ' MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

Many of the parish clergymen deemed the Wesleyan 
preachers as fanatical enthusiasts, and intruders on their 
rightful domain. The same bitter spirit which excluded 
Wesley from the church at Epworth, and compelled him 
to preach standing on his father's tombstone, pervaded Ire- 
land also. Ministers of the Established Church frequently 
encouraged, and in some instances headed mobs to interrupt 
and abuse Methodist preachers ; but they were not always 
aware of the men they had to deal with, and sometimes 
come out of the affrays "second best." The following is 
related as a fact by Mr. Gurley, though he does not give • 
names or date : 

"In a town where there had never been Methodist preach- 
ing, a mob had been hired by a Church parson to abuse a 
Wesleyan preacher, who had sent on an appointment. The 
preacher, who was somewhat eccentric, arrived, and, having 
no acquaintance, put up at the tavern. The innkeeper, 
who had been informed of the plot, urged him strongly not 
to attempt to preach; 'for,' said he, 'our parson has en- 
gaged a mob to abuse and injure you; so pray do not 
attempt it.' '0,' said the minister, 'I must preach, for my 
word is out, and the people will expect it; and, sir,' contin- 
uities-, which all the holy Fathers, the Popes, have granted to them; 
and we give him over to the power of the fiend; and let him quench 
his soul, when dead, in the flames of hell-fire, as the candle is now 
quenched, and put out; and let us pray to God that his eyes may 
be put out in this world, as this candle is; and let us pray to God, 
our Lady, St. Peter, St. Paul, that all the senses of his body may 
fail, as now the light of this candle is gone out, except he come, 
on sight hereof, and openly confesses his damnable heresy, and 
blasphemy, and by repentance, as much as in him lies, make satis- 
faction to God, our Lady, St. Peter, St. Paul, the worshipful com- 
pany of this Church. And as the staff of this holy cross now falls 
down, so may he, unless he recants and repents. 

" Philip Duxn, 

"Bryan Mooke, Register." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 47 

ued he, * with your aid, I trust I will not be injured.' A 
table was placed out in a yard adjoining the house, and the 
people soon began to -collect. 

" 'Pray, sir,' said the preacher to his host, 'can you bor- 
row for me a gold-laced hat?' 'Yes.' 'Now, can you get 
me a large gray wig ?' It was done. ' Have you a gold- 
headed cane at hand ?' One was found. ' Once more, sir, 
and I have done: can you get for me a pair of broad 
ruffles, and a snuff-box?' These were procured. Thus 
eqiupped, out went the preacher, wearing the big wig, hat, 
ruffles, and cane. He strolled down to the church, and 
walked for awhile leisurely among the tombs. The parson- 
age was just opposite, and the preacher could see the 
parson eyeing him through the open window. So, after 
awhile, he walked slowly over, and knocked at the parson- 
age door. He was ushered into the parlor, and sat down 
with the parson. 

"The preacher was a fine, portly figure, and a sheer, con- 
versable man, and, as a stranger who had called for com- 
pany's sake, entered into an agreeable chat with his rever- 
ence. In about half an hour, three of the mob came and 
called to the parson, saying, 'The Methodist preacher has 
come ; will you go with us to the place ?' 'By and by,' said 
the parson ; ' there is a strange gentleman with me now ; as 
soon as he is gone, I will be with you.' In half an hour 
more, three or four others came, saying, 'Parson, the table 
is out, and the people are collecting.' Again he replied, 
'I will be with you as soon as this gentleman is gone.' 
They went away. It was* not long before a third party 
came. It was now time for preaching. The preacher said, 
'Parson, it may be you are engaged.' 'Why, sir,' said he, 
' a vagabond Methodist has come to preach, and disturb the 
parish, and I have employed some fellows to drive him out 
of the place; and I promised to be with them.' '0,' re- 



48 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



plied the preacher, 'if that is the case, I will not detain 
you; and if you have no objection, I will go with you.' 
'Thank you, sir,' replied the parson; so they started to- 
gether. There was a large concourse of people, but no 
preacher. 'Where is the preacher?' cried one. 'Ah, he 
is afraid to come,' said the parson ; ' he knows what he would 
get.' 'Sir,' said the preacher to the parson, 'if you will 
hold my hat and cane, I will go on the table a moment and 
tell these good fellows what to do with Methodist preachers 
if they ever come.' 

" The parson charged the mob not to touch or hurt the 
strange gentleman. It was not long, however, until the 
parson threw hat and cane on the table, and ran away, cry- 
ing, 'That's the preacher, boys, that's the preacher; but 
don't hurt or disturb him, for I have pledged my word to 
him.' So the preacher finished in peace, and never was he 
or his brethren disturbed there after." 

Authentic accounts show that, at a much more recent 
date than that of which we are speaking, the Wesleyan 
preachers and missionaries met with no small persecution 
in some parts of Ireland.* 

* " Gideon Otiseley, Arthur Noble, and William Keys, at three 
o'clock on Friday, the 21st May, 1819, which was the fair-day of 
Killeter, a village near Stranorlar, in the county of Tyrone, drew 
up on horseback before a wall, and the first-mentioned missionary 
preached in the Irish language, which is chiefly understood by the 
Roman Catholic inhabitants. In a little time, stones were rolled 
down to the horses' feet, from the people who sat behind on the 
wall, and a considerable noise was made to drown the voice of the 
preacher; and this noise was kept up by a fictitious quarrel among 
the people in front. Mr. Noble being struck with a stone in the 
head, a friend took his horse by the bridle, and led him out of the 
crowd. Both his horse and Mr. Ouseley's were then beaten with 
sticks, and pelted with stones, so that they ran violently through 
the people. Mr. Keys, who followed slowly, was surrounded and 
stopped, and his horse beaten till it became ungovernable. The 
girt broke — Mr. Keys fell to the ground, when tlsr horse rushed 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



49 



In 1791 Mr. Gurley went on business to England. It 
was on this voyage, during a storm,, that he found his 
familiarity with the sea and nautical skill, before-mentioned, 
valuable to him. 

" On my way," says Mr. Gurley, " from Wexford to 
Liverpool, we had like to be lost; for, on the second day, 
we had a strong gale of wind rather against us. When out 
of sight of land, a thick mist enveloped us, and wind and 
tide drove us some miles down the channel. In a few hours 
the captain found we were driving on the coast of Wales, 
but could not tell what part of it. On getting near the 
shore, it was found we were in what was called ' Carnarvon 
Bay.' I saw the captain order the cabin-boy to go below, 
and bring him his best small clothes. ' Captain,' said I, ' what 
are you going to do? Are we to be lost?' 'Yonder,' re- 
plied he, pale and trembling, ' is a smooth place ; I will run 
her ashore there.' ' If you do,' said I, looking him firmly 
in the . face, ' we shall all be dashed to pieces in a few 
moments. Captain, you must keep off; the sea will be 

through the mob, and escaped. A Romanist who had been pre- 
•• viously impressed by Divine truth, at a funeral sermon preached 
by Mr. Keys, threw himself on Mr. Keys' body, to shelter him from 
the blows aimed at him; and another Romanist, "who had occasion- 
ally attended the preaching, took up the saddle, to preserve it. 
These two friends were severely beaten with sticks. The saddle and 
Mr. Keys' hat were torn by the strokes of cudgels; but owing to 
the fury of the attack, no effectual blow reached Mr. Keys. Those 
that were not near enough to beat, threw their sticks at him; and 
so many endeavored to strike, that they hindered each other. His 
shoulders, however, were black with the bruises for some days 
after. A part of the crowd ran after the other two preachers, who 
were obliged to gallop for a mile to escape, and they rode for miles 
without hats, till they got to a place of security. Those who re- 
mained beating Mr. Keys, after some time quarreled among them- 
selves, and beat each other. This opportunity was seized by some 
friends to lead Mr. Keys about a mile off, to a place of safety, 
where his horse had been previously conveyed and sheltered." 
(Imperial Magazine for 1819, p. 877.) v 



so 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



more propitious than the land. Heave her round, captain, 
and take courage.' '0,' said he, despairingly, 'she will not 
stay.' * Down, then, with the peak ; haul aft the jib sheet, 
and let her wear round ; the storm will not last long, and, 
as the sloop is strong, we will do well enough. But if you 
do run ashore, and we escape — mark my word, sir — I will 
have you tried for not doing your best to save the ship and 
cargo, and you will be liable to be hung.' This seemed to 
determine him to follow my direction. The storm subsided, 
and we reached Liverpool next evening. 

"I remember, when the boy went below for the captain's 
pantaloons, I went down also, soon after, for my money. 
The poor fellow threw his arms round my knees, crying, 
* 0, Mr. Gurley, are you come with us to be drowned?' 
This captain did not know a letter of the alphabet." 

In Liverpool he preached in several of the chapels, and 
formed an interesting acquaintance with several of the 
earliest associates of the founder of Methodism. 

He visited Birmingham, also, and led several classes in 
both places ; a work in which he greatly delighted at that 
time. The following brief notice of this visit occurs in his • 
writings: "At Birmingham I first heard and saw Joseph 
Benson. When I first saw him in the pulpit, not knowing 
who he was, I wondered that conference would send such 
an inferior-looking man to preach in so important a _place : 
j,500 people w T ere before him. But Benson soon let me 
know that he was better than he looked. I heard him three 
times with great satisfaction. I observed that the hymn- 
book, Bible, and pulpit, were in deep mourning for Mr. 
John Wesley." 

The death of this venerable man produced a deep sensa- 
tion throughout the United Kingdom. A star had set, 
whose rays, for more than half a century, had glowed with 
unrivaled splendor in the moral firmament, Of all the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



51 



distinguished reformers of the Christian era, none, since the 
days of Luther, has been so extensively known and honored 
as John Wesley. Thousands, it is true, have affected to 
treat his name and character with contempt ; many others, 
who had too much sagacity to attempt this, while they dare 
not deny his superior abilities, have endeavored to impugn 
his motives, and, by groundless insinuations, to soil his 
well-earned reputation. 

Men of no mean parts have, from various quarters, 
showered their missiles of wit, sarcasm, and truthless in- 
uendos upon him ; but, from this mass of rubbish, his name 
has risen, unwounded and unsoiled, like the sun, emerging 
in its glory from regions of clouds and vapors. He had 
outlived many of the calumnies which at first were heaped 
upon him; and even many who were his enemies while 
living, at his death acknowledged that an extraordinary 
man had fallen. 

Possessing, as he did in an eminent degree, those qualities 
of mind and endowments of nature which all mankind ad- 
mire, superadded to which were the discipline, refinement, 
and acquisitions conferred by the proudest seat of learning, 
in the wisest nation of the globe, few, indeed, attempted to 
assail him who would not have been proud to be his equal. 
The clergy, some of whom were his most violent opposers, 
could not but envy him his talents and influence. They 
beheld in him the learned and accomplished minister of 
Christ, possessing the intrepidity of Luther, the piety of 
Baxter, and the tireless zeal and philanthropy of Howard. 
How truly gratifying, after the lapse of a century, to reflect 
on the results of the labors of this one man ! It is true, he 
worked as if he expected to move the world ; and he did 
it. To say that he foresaw that he was planting an eccle- 
siastical establishment which should, Avithin a century, em- 
brace nearly two millions of communicants, extending their 



O'J 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



influence to the ends of the earth, would perhaps be to affirm 
too much ; but he worked as if animated by a faith which 
grasped in prospect these great results. And, if aught 
transpiring on earth can enhance the raptures of the re- 
deemed on high, what must now be the emotions of his 
sainted spirit, as he beholds tiie spreading hosts of Meth- 
odism still honored and blessed of God — foremost in the 
van of all the hosts of Zion, in carrying the triumphs of the 
cross throughout the habitable globe ! 

His fame is erected on an enduring foundation, and needs 
no sculptured marble to transmit his name to posterity. It 
glows on the page of history ; and the works he has written, 
and the Church raised up by his labors, will remain to future 
ages, memorials of his fame, more enduring than monuments 
of brass or marble. His dust reposes in the church-yard 
of the City-road Chapel, in London, where, during the year 
celebrated as the centenary of Methodism, his monument 
was re-edified and enlarged, under the direction of the 
English conference.* 

* The following extract from the Imperial Magazine, edited by 
the celebrated Dr. Drew, of England, will show the care taken to 
preserve his mortal remains: 

"When this justly-celebrated man died, in 1791, his mortal 
remains were inclosed in a shell, which was placed in a lead 
coffin; and this was deposited in one of oak, and committed to a 
vault close behind the new chapel, City-road, London. Thirty- 
seven years having elapsed since his interment, it was found, on a 
recent inspection, that the oak had moldered into complete decay, 
leaving the lead coffin quite exposed. To preserve this from 
injury, and to secure the remains of the body lodged within, it 
was suggested by the treasurer of the trustees of the chapel, that 
another coffin, made of heart of oak, should be procured, in which 
the lead coffin should be placed, and that this should be inclosed 
in a sarcophagus of Portland stone, to be provided at their 
expense. "With a readiness that was at once honorable to their 
feelings, and expressive of high respect to the memory of the 
deceased, a resolution was instantly passed to this effect. A 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 53 

Mr. Gurley's manuscript contains several anecdotes of 
the early preachers. I will add only the following : 

" Old John Miller, when a youth, was page to George II. 
When on Wexford circuit, in charge, he told me that on one 
occasion, when he was traveling in the north of Ireland, he 
was going to an appointment on his way to conference, 
which was to be at Dublin. John was a good smoker, and 
had a tin case for his tobacco and pipe. He had consider- 
able cash with him in his saddle-bags, taking it to the con- 
ference ; when, at dusk, he was stopped by a big man, who 
caught hold of the bridle-reins, saying, in a threatening 
tone, 'Your money, sir; I want your money.' 'Why, sir,' 
said John, 'lama poor Methodist preacher.' 'I know who 
and what you are well enough,' replied the robber; 'but 
it is your money I want, and must have it.' ' But,' said 
John, 'what I have belongs to the conference.' 'I care 
nothing for you nor your conference; I must have the 
money; so give it to me instantly.' A queer thought 
crossed the brain of John. 'Well,' said he, 'if you must 

sarcophagus was instantly ordered for the purpose, of Mr. Cus- 
worth, stone-mason, of Stoke Newington; and, on March 27, it 
received the sacred deposit committed to its trust. 

" The sarcophagus is seven feet long, and two feet five inches 
wide at the breast; its depth is nearly two feet. The sides are 
two inches and a half thick; but the bottom and lid are three 
inches each. 

" To render this secure, the lid and sides have been perforated, 
as in common wood coffins, and in the sides metallic nuts have 
been lodged, secui-ed by molten lead. Into these, when the lid 
.was laid on, long copper screws have been inserted, the heads of 
which are also protected by molten lead. The sarcophagus, 
now resting upon two blocks of Portland stone, about six inches 
from the floor of the vault, weighs about half a ton; and with 
its inclosure, the whole can be scarcely less than one ton in 
weight. 

" The lead coffin within bears an inscription, that simply 
records the name and age of the deceased, and the time when 

5* 



54 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



have it, and there is no other way, so be it; but,' said ho, 
putting his right hand in his pocket and drawing forth his 
tobacco-case, and throwing back the lid with a smart click, 
'you must first take the contents of this.' Seeing the mo- 
tion, and hearing the click, which sounded much like the 
cocking of a pistol, the robber dropped the reins instantly, 
and fled ; no doubt blessing his stars that he escaped with- 
out a ball through his head. Miller put spurs to his horse, 
and was soon out of danger." 

Mr. Gurley himself, in traveling, was sometimes in peril, 
and on several occasions barely escaped from ruffians who 

he died. On the oak coffin now crumbled into dust, formerly 
stood a plate, which is now attached to the new oak coffin, bearing 
the following inscription: 

" ' Johannes "Wesley, A. M., 
Olim Soc. Coll. Lin. Oxon., 
Ob. 2do die Martii, 1791, 
An. m 88/ 

"A copy of this inscription is also engraven on a large brass 
plate, cemented by lead to the lid of the sarcophagus, to which 
the following memorial is added: 

" ' The Coffin 
containing the remains of 
THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, 
being found in a decayed state, 
was deposited herein, 

March, 1828, 
under the direction of 
the Rev. John Stephens, 
President of the Conference, 
and 

the Trustees of this Chapel, 
Launcelot Haslope, 
Treasurer.' 

" The whole being rendered thus secure, the entrance to the 
vault was closed, about three in the afternoon of Friday, March 
28, 1828; in all human probability to be opened no more, until the 
trumpet of the archangel shall awaken to immortal life the tenants 
who are lodged within." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



55 



assailed him. A letter, which detailed some of these 
trials of his faith and patience, is lost. I shall, therefore, 
only refer to one incident of this kind, which he has often 
been heard to relate : 

He was once traveling to Dublin, and put up -at a country 
inn. The night was dark and tempestuous, and he was 
glad to be seated comfortably by a blazing grate of coals, 
in a room tolerably pleasant. 

During the evening he commenced singing, in rather an 
under tone, one of Mr. Charles Wesley's hymns. He had 
not proceeded far with it, when a half-drunken fellow, who 
had been lounging on a bench, rose up, and, looking fiercely 
at him, exclaimed, "By the holy Virgin, I believe you are 
a d — d swaddler." u I presume it is of no consequence to 
you what I am. I am a traveler and stranger, and do not 
wish to be insulted in my own house, as I consider this, and 
every public house at which I stop, to be." " You are all 
a set of bloody Orange men," replied he, "and, by the 
powers, if you say another word, I'll blow your soul to the 
d — 1," at the same time drawing a pistol, and cocking it 
within a few inches of Mr. Gurley's head. At this moment 
the landlord, who had overheard the last words of the 
scoundrel, entered the apartment, and, perceiving the atti- 
tude of the ruffian, struck his arm a blow which sent the 
pistol across the room. He then seized the fellow by the 
collar, led him to the street door, and, giving him a kick 
and a push, sent him headlong into the gutter, to find a 
home, as best he could, in the darkness of the night. 

Mr. Gurley carried on a brisk and somewhat profitable 
business in Wexford. He procured, from Birmingham and 
Liverpool, the different parts of watches and clocks, in their 
rough state, and had them set up and finished in his own 
shop. He kept a good assortment of silver-plate and jewel- 
ry, and had already acquired several thousand dollars, which 



56 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



was chiefly invested in stock and wares. There was one 
branch of his business which he attended to, as a matter of 
course belonging to his trade, but which, in after years, he 
severely condemned ; namely, the manufacture of silver and 
gold crucifixes and images for the Roman Catholics. But the 
thing was common, and expected of all of the trade ; so that 
the error did not strike him at the time ; but afterward he 
has been heard to intimate, that the trouble he had endured 
by them was, perhaps, but a just punishment, permitted by 
Providence to come upon him for this error. The crosses, 
etc., would have been of no value, being defiled with 
Protestant hands; but, being afterward consecrated by the 
priest, the defilement was removed, and they were deemed 
holy. 

Mr. Gurley has frequently related the following circum- 
stance, showing how his ingenuity was once taxed to accom- 
modate a Romish priest : A consecrated silver urn had, by 
the carelessness of the priest, become injured. Unwilling 
to let the bishop know the fact, in much perplexity he came 
to Mr. Gurley, to know if the article could be repaired. 
He was informed that it could. "Bring it to the shop, 
sir," said Mr. Gurley, "and it shall be done." "But, sir," 
said the priest, with evident consternation, "there is one 
thing I forgot. Your hands will defile it. Have you no 
Catholic workman in your shop?" "None," said Mr. 
Gurley; "but sure you can get the bishop to consecrate it 
again." "Yes, but I do not wish him to know that I 
injured it." Here was a fine quandary. The poor priest 
was in trouble enough, and nothing less than the wit of 
an Irishman could relieve him. "Ah, I have it now!" said 
Mr. Gurley, looking in the face of the priest with an air 
of triumph. " Do you, sir, give me your kid gloves ; they 
will not defile it. I can wear them while repairing the 
vessel." It was a lucky thought. It completely relieved 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



57 



the scrupulous ecclesiastic. The urn was repaired, and Mr. 
Gurley was well paid for the job. 

Mr. Gurley continued to reside with his mother, prosecu- 
ting with diligence his business, and preaching generally on 
the Sabbath, until his thirty-eighth year, when he was 
united in marriage to Miss Susannah Beatty, daughter of 
James Beatty, Esq., of Ballycannow. The latter was a 
gentleman distinguished for enterprise, philanthrophy, and 
integrity. He possessed a considerable landed estate, was 
engaged in mercantile pursuits, and had extensive flouring 
mills. He -adhered to the Established Church; but his 
wife — a very intelligent and active lady — was a Methodist. 
Mr. Gurley, according to the custom of those good olden 
times, paid his addresses first to the father and then to the 
daughter. The courtship was brief, and they were married 
in the autumn of 1795. A sister of Mrs. Gurley, two 
years her senior, was wedded, at the same time, to Mr. 
Ralph Johnson, a worthy and reputable gentleman, who, 
after passing through various vicissitudes of fortune, emi- 
grated to this country, and closed an exemplary and active 
life by a peaceful and happy death, near Sandusky City, 0. 

Mrs. Gurley, at the time of her marriage, was but seven- 
teen years of age. She had been baptized and confirmed 
in the Church of England, but was not a professor of 
religion ; but she was seriously disposed, and soon became 
a member of the society. She continued inquiring the way 
to Zion, with her face thitherward, until she became a happy 
subject of God's renewing grace, and ever after gave the 
clearest evidence of being a conscientious disciple of Christ. 
There were twenty years difference in their ages. So great 
a disparity is not, it is thought, generally favorable to con- 
jugal felicity. But Mr. Gurley always appeared at least 
ten years younger than he was. A fair complexion, glowing 
cheek, with a lively step, and cheerful, facetious air, carried 



58 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



the index of youth into riper years. Their union was cordial 
and happy ; and the changes and vicissitudes of over half 
a century contributed only to cement and strengthen mu- 
tual love. Soon after their marriage they commenced 
housekeeping in Wexford, enjoying peace and prosperity, 
until their tranquility was interrupted by the dreadful events 
of the Irish insurrection, which threw a dark eclipse over 
their sky, and was the commencement of years of care, 
solicitude, and trouble. We have now reached a point in 
the life of Mr. Gurley, which brings us to contemplate the 
sanguinary scenes of a civil war, usually termed the " Irish 
Rebellion." Although in this struggle he was rather a 
sufferer than an actor, yet, as the events thereof transpired 
around him, and are inseparably connected with his history, 
it is the design of this work to present a somewhat detailed 
account of the melancholy and astonishing transactions of 
that time. It will, doubtless, be gratifying to the reader to 
know, that, so far as Mr. Gurley was a participator in the 
events of the insurrection, and eye-witness to much that 
will excite sympathy, he has left a record thereof in his 
own handwriting, from which extracts will be freely intro- 
duced as we proceed with the narration. 

It will be seen, however, that of the various clubs and 
parties organized he belonged to none. He kept his mind 
aloof from political excitement and party spirit. With his 
Catholic neighbors he lived on terms of peace and friend- 
ship. But this peaceful spirit and attitude did not secure 
him from the malice of the enemies of truth, and the perse- 
cutes of the Protestant religion. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



59 



CHAPTER III. 

Insurrection of 1798 — History of Ireland — Cause of its discontent 
and degradation — Commencement of English sway — Reformation 
did not reach Ireland — Bad policy of England — Massacre of 
Protestants in 1641 — Avenged by Cromwell — Catholics deprived 
of political privileges — Confiscation of estates — Tithes — Distin- 
guished men born in Ireland — Irish clubs — "White boys — Oak 
boys — Defenders — Tragic death of Major Valloton — Epitaphs. 

Before we proceed to the events of the insurrection of 
1798, it may be interesting to take a rapid glance at the 
civil and political condition of Ireland, and to trace, if pos- 
sible, the causes which led to its disastrous achievements. 

The best writers of Irish history appear to have been 
greatly perplexed in their efforts to discover and explain 
the reason or causes of the discontent and degradation of 
this interesting portion of the British empire. 

A careful attention, however, to the facts of Irish history, 
the genius of the people, and the policy of its masters, will 
show, that in order to be tranquil and contented, Ireland 
must have been far more elevated, or far more degraded, 
than she has ever been for the last ten centuries. 

According to the ablest historians, the natives of Ireland 
were of Celtic origin. The language still spoken by a por- 
tion of the descendants of the ancient race, confirms this 
opinion. This country was known to the ancient Romans. 

The Danes, during their greatest power, from the ninth 
to the twelfth century, possessed almost the entire eastern 
coast of the island, making Dublin their capital. But to 
dwell on the ancient history of this country, however inter- 
esting it might be to the reader, would be inconsistent with 
the design and limits of this biography. 

The English sway commenced in A. D. 1170. Richard 
Strongbow formed the first settlement. Henry II assumed 



60 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



the title of Lord of Ireland." Henry VIII took the title of 
"King of Ireland." Intent on attaching Ireland firmly to 
the crown, Great Britain has resorted to various measures 
to effect this great object; but, with all her efforts, such 
has been the spirit of domination she has manifested, that 
to this day she has signally failed to gain the affections of 
the masses of the Irish people ; while, in her struggles for 
freedom, the soil of Ireland has drank the blood of unnum- 
bered thousands of her patriotic sons. 

The memorable Reformation, commenced in Germany by 
the intrepid and immortal Luther, extended its hallowed 
leaven over England and Scotland, and in its results estab- 
lished the Protestant religion in connection with the British 
throne, but did not extend to Ireland. The people were 
still Catholic. They were ardently attached to their faith, 
and the priests exercised over them an almost unbounded 
power. When, therefore, the Protestant religion was estab- 
lished by law in the island, and revenues for its support 
coerced from the inhabitants generally, it was not hailed as 
the bright dawning of a welcome morn — the beamings of a 
more auspicious day — but as an attempt to force on them 
the galling yoke of w T hat they deemed a heretical priest- 
hood — a worse form than ever of British domination. Eng- 
land, in adopting this course, committed as great an error 
in political science as in moral principle ; for the judgment 
and conscience of mankind cannot be forced. Had the 
same policy been pursued toward Ireland, in regard to 
ecclesiastical matters, that has marked the course of the 
English government toward her Canadian possessions, it can 
scarcely be doubted that the result w r ould have been far 
more favorable both to the British throne and to the cause 
of true religion. One great source of bitter feuds would have 
been dried up. The hand of oppression would not have 
been so sensibly felt, and the light and power of the truth, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



61 



which had emancipated England and Scotland from the 
fetters of Roman domination, might have dispersed the 
darkness, and won the affections of the inhabitants of the 
Emerald Isle. 

The Irish, quick in resentment and fearless of results, 
instead of demeaning themselves peaceably and seeking 
by proper measures their just rights, rose in 1641, and in 
a short time massacred not less than forty thousand English 
settlers. This outrage, however, was soon retaliated by 
Cromwell, who, with a heavy force, crossed over to Ireland 
in 1649, and extinguished the insurrection in an ocean of 
blood. He stormed Wexford and other places with most 
horrible slaughter, thus taking terrible vengeance on the 
murderers of the English. Peace ensued ; but the name of 
Cromwell is mentioned, even to this day, by the Catholic 
Irish with detestation and horror. 

The bitter hatred of the Roman Catholics to the English 
government, induced Parliament to deprive them of all 
political power and privileges. ''They were rendered inca- 
pable of holding any office or employment in the state. 
They were debarred even from holding land, from devising 
property, and from exercising other important functions of 
civil society. . . . And a continual ferment prevailed, 
which broke out from time to time in partial rebel- 
lions." (Encyclopaedia of Geography, vol. i, p. 446.) 

Another cause of lasting antipathy to the British power, 

was the confiscation of estates during the various struggles 

and contests with England. Nearly all the landed property 

has, from time to time, been wrested from the original 

owners, and bestowed on the English nobility, or companies 

and individuals of English origin. More than eight millions 

of acres were thus lavished on the soldiers and minions of 

Cromwell, who followed his fortunes in the reduction of 

Ireland above-mentioned. This immense domain, wrested 
6 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



from its rightful owners, many of whom were chivalrous 
chieftains or noble families, left thousands of the descend- 
ants of once honorable names to inherit, not the patrimonial 
possessions of their revered ancestors, but the mortal hatred 
of England which rankled in the bosoms of their fore- 
fathers. How could the poor son of poverty and toil shear 
the hedges, dress the shrubbery, and till the grounds of 
noble estates justly his own, without execrating in his heart 
the power that had unjustly doomed him to his present 
state of penury and degradation ? What but a despotism 
that should extinguish in his soul the last ray of light, and 
smother in his bosom the last spark of independence, could 
ever reconcile him to his hated oppressors ? 

The payment of tithes has, also, been an occasion of 
endless contention ; and against it the Catholics have justly 
uttered long and loud complaints. Resistance to this 
feature of the government, has ever afforded a ground on 
which many Protestants of Ireland could meet with them 
in opposition to the crown ; for the Protestant population was, 
to a considerable extent, Presbyterian, being descendants 
from original Scotch emigrants ; and the yoke of the English 
hierarchy did not sit lightly on their sturdy necks. Other 
dissenters, though not numerous, were fast accumulating 
to swell the number of discontented citizens. 

Yet, amidst all her suffering and degradation, Ireland 
produced some men whose names have become illustrious 
as poets, statesmen, orators, and divines. Burke, Grattan, 
and Curran, by their talents and eloquence, have acquired 
enduring fame; while among the divines to which that 
country has given birth, is the highly distinguished Dr. 
Adam Clarke, a man who, it is well known, for profound 
learning, ardent piety, indomitable energy, and extensive 
labors, has had few equals in modern times. 

Such was the condition of Ireland at the commencement 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



63 



of the American Revolution. She beheld the colossal power 
of England, towering, in insolent majesty, over sea and land. 

When, therefore, the American colonies offered resistance 
to the usurpations and oppressions of this power, Ireland 
felt a thrill of sympathy through all her population. Each 
successive step of independence was watched, with the 
deepest solicitude, by her noblest spirits ; and when, at last, 
the British lion was humbled, and the American arms 
triumphed, Ireland awoke as from a long but restless 
slumber. 

George III, humbled at the loss of the American states, 
and fearful of other calamities, listened to the petitions 
of his Irish subjects, which were drawn up in a strong 
and bold style, with more than usual clemency. Conces- 
sions were made, the most galling and severe restrictions on 
Catholics were repealed, and the improvement of Ireland 
was the order of the day. 

While these peaceable efforts were being made for the 
relief of the country, the restless population associated in 
secret clubs and companies, and, under different names, 
greatly disturbed the peaceable inhabitants. " White Boys," 
ft Steel Boys," "Oak Boys," and "Defenders" successively 
made their appearance. The White Boys appeared as early 
as 1794. They were all Catholics. Their manner was, to 
meet late at night, each with a white shirt thrown over his 
clothes. They would take horses wherever they could find 
them ; then set off full speed for the place of rendezvous, 
frequently several miles distant. They would destroy pas- 
tures, set fire to the houses and barns of Protestants, whom 
they supposed to be warm friends of the government, and, 
as related by Rev. George Taylor, drag out of their beds 
the proctors, cut off their noses and ears, horsewhip them 
till just ready to expire, and sometimes bury them alive; 
and all this to prevent their gathering the tithes. These 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



outrages excited well-grounded alarm among the Protestant 
population ; and, in some instances, they provoked most 
severe retaliation. The civic magistrates, however, exerted 
their utmost power to prevent disorder, and to quell lawless 
proceedings; and, by the assistance of the loyal inhabi- 
tants, they were soon subdued, or, at least, quieted for the 
time. Two of their ringleaders were arrested, and, being 
found guilty of heinous offenses, were executed, at New 
town-barry,on the 28th of September, H7o. 

To prevent these disorders, and promote the security of 
the Protestant community, associations of Irish volunteers, 
or yeomanry, originated, and many corps of them sprang 
up throughout the kingdom. They were both cavalry 
and infantry. They appointed their officers, purchased 
their own uniform, and mustered regularly, in order to 
acquire a knowledge of military tactics and manual exercise. 
At their highest point of popularity, in 1781, the Irish 
volunteers numbered 40,000 men. The Right Hon. George 
Ogle, member of Parliament, was chosen commander- 
in-chief. 

The disaffected Catholics looked on these military asso- 
ciations as designed to support the tyrranical government 
they detested, and to intimidate those who might attempt 
to violate the laws for the collection of tithes. To coun- 
teract their influence, therefore, the Defenders were 
organized throughout the different provinces, and, in the 
year 1*793, committed many and great outrages in the 
county of Wexford. In July, of that year, one thousand 
of them assembled near Enniscorthy, in this county. Their 
unruly and threatening appearance greatly alarmed the 
inhabitants of the town ; but, through the prudence and 
activity of the neighboring gentlemen and magistrates, they 
were dispersed, and two of their leaders were made prison- 
ers, and sent, under a strong guard, to Wexford prison. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



65 



The Defenders had too much spirit to allow their leaders to 
lie in jail, without an effort to rescue them. This they 
determined to attempt by force, if threats should fail to 
accomplish it. On the morning of the 11th of June a 
letter was sent to the town, requesting the liberation of the 
prisoners. It so happened that this letter was handed to 
Mr. Gurley and another gentleman, who were standing 
together. In his manuscript he says: "I was standing at 
my shop door, with a Mr. Hughs, when a ragged, bare- 
footed boy came up to us, and handed us a letter. Mr. 
Hughs read it, and, handing it to me, said, 'Ah ha! has it 
come to this?' The letter directed Mr. Hughs to go to the 
mayor of the town, and request him to release the two 
Defenders ; threatening that, in case of refusal, three thou- 
sand men would come and burn the city about his ears. 
As we were conversing we saw the mayor passing on the 
opposite side of the street. We went and gave him the 
letter; and I remember well his remark: 'I will suffer 
myself to burn with it before I will give them up.' We 
then proceeded with the mayor to the garrison, and showed 
the letter to the commander. The threat was, however, 
treated with contempt ; for, as the city was guarded with a 
detachment of infantry, under the command of Major Yal- 
loton, an officer of the garrison, the inhabitants were by no 
means alarmed, not thinking they would be so bold as to 
attack the town." 

In this, however, they were greatly mistaken ; for, by two 
o'clock, the same day, the Defenders, in great force, were 
within sight of the town. Major Valloton, who had been 
aid to General Elliott at the siege of Gibraltar, took fifty- 
soldiers, and, with three magistrates, went out to meet the 
assailants, who were now at the upper end of the city. The 
Defenders were led on by a farmer of New Ross, a most 
resolute and daring young man, whose name was Moore. 



66 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



He was followed by about two thousand men, armed with 
guns, pikes, sythes, etc. Among them, as if to keep them 
in countenance, was a Roman Catholic priest. 

Actuated by feelings of humanity, Major Yalloton would 
not allow the troops to charge, without first attempting to 
expostulate with the mob, and, if possible, induce them to 
disperse peaceably. Accordingly, he advanced alone to the 
front of the insurgent ranks, and commenced an earnest but 
conciliatory appeal to their reason and patriotism; but, 
while in the act of addressing them, a man, who stood 
near, presented his musket at his breast, which the Major 
parried with his sword. As the piece went off, instead of 
falling back on his men for support, the Major seized the 
fellow who had attempted to shoot him. A struggle en- 
sued; and, while thus engaged, a man, with a sythe 
fastened to the end of a pole, made a blow at the officer's 
head, which cleft the skull, and brought him to the ground. 
The enraged soldiers, as they saw their beloved commander 
fall, fired without the order of the magistrates, then, boldly 
rushing forward, made a terrible charge on the insurgents, 
putting them to flight, after eighty of their number were 
dead on the spot. 

Moore, the insurgent leader, was in front of his men, and, 
at the first fire of the military, had both of his legs broken ; 
yet, such was his enthusiasm that he fought on his stumps, 
encouraging his associates, until his men fled, and he was 
shot down by the soldiers. Several of the leading Defend- 
ers were made prisoners, and, being found guilty at the 
following assizes, were executed. Their unhappy fate ap- 
peared, for a time, to produce a salutary effect on the 
infuriated associates ; but, as will be seen hereafter, it was 
of short duration. 

The inhabitants of Wexford, deeply affected at the trag- 
ical death of the brave Valloton, out of respect to his 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



67 



memory, erected a monument in the church, with the fol- 
lowing inscription : 

" SACRED TO THE MEMORY 

of the late 
CHARLES VALLOTON, Esq., 
A Major in the Army, and a Captain in the 
56th Regiment of Infantry; 
who, in the suburbs, on the 11th of July, 1793, 
while zealously co-operating with the civil power in support of the 
mild and beneficent laws of his country, received 
a mortal wound from a 
savage hand. 

Thus untimely fell this accomplished gentleman, not less admired 
and beloved for every social quality, than he was 
eminently distinguished, on every 
occasion, by the 
enterprise and gallantry of a soldier. 
Reader, lament, with every good man, the irreparable loss, 
and strive to emulate his many virtues ! 
The Corporation of Wexford, 
with becoming gratitude, 
erected 
this Monument, 
to perpetuate their high respect for his character." 

As the above-described monument had been erected in 
memory of Major Valloton, so the friends of Moore, the 
rebel leader, raised a stone in the grave-yard near New 
Ross, on which were engraved the subjoined lines: 

" Underneath this stone doth lie 
The remains of that noble boy, 
Who, by his deeds and actions brave, 
In Wexford his body was brought to the grave. 
Now each Christian for him should pray, 
And to heaven straight direct his way; 
As on his oath in trust that day did die, 
It's there he fought most manfully. 
John Moore, son of James Moore and Margaret White, of Robins- 
town, who was killed by the army, July 11, 1793. 
Lord, have mercy on his soul !" 



68 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



The foregoing epitaphs afford a pretty good indication 
of the difference in the refinement, intelligence, and taste 
of the respective parties. 

Thus ended an affray, which, although it preceded the 
Rebellion nearly five years, originated in the same spirit, and 
shadowed forth, with prophetic accuracy, the sanguinary 
scenes which followed. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



69 



CHAPTER IY. 

Origin of the Society of United Irishmen — Its true character — 
Alliance with France — Treaty with French Directory — Memorial 
by Theobald Wolf Tone— Oath of United Irishmen— French ex- 
pedition a failure — Prospects of a successful revolution and inde- 
pendence. 

While these disturbances were taking* place, as the out- 
breaks of the pent-up fires within the bosom of a chivalrous 
and down-trodden nation, a scheme for the relief and inde- 
pendence of Ireland was originated. This was on a grand 
scale, and based on the most liberal principles. 

The apparently successful issue of the revolution in 
France, had stimulated the most ardent friends of Irish 
independence to attempt a revolt from the British crown. 
The plan of uniting all Ireland in one grand conspiracy, 
through the formation of clubs or distinct associations of a 
limited number, was projected by Theobald Wolf Tone, a 
member of the Irish bar — a man of extraordinary powers 
of mind, indomitable courage, and rare eloquence. 

The first club was formed in 1791 at Belfast. It em- 
braced both Catholics and Dissenters. The latter are said 
to have been first in the project. Thus originated the far- 
famed society of "United Irishmen." 

There has been a great diversity of opinions in regard to 
the nature and merits of this association. While some 
have defended it as a patriotic and worthy organization, 
others have heaped on it, and on the heads of its friends, 
the most unmeasured abuse. It is true, this society in its 
operations is inseparably associated with the horrid acts 
and sanguinary tragedies of the Rebellion. Yet it is sub- 
mitted, whether a candid investigation of the facts in the 
case will not show that it was by no means responsible for 
them. 



70 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



It is beyond dispute that the society was composed of 
persons of all religious persuasions. The principal leaders 
associated with Tone, were Lord Edward Fitzgerald, Ham- 
ilton Rowen, Emmet, Arthur O'Conner, a late member of 
Parliament, Dr. M'Niven, and Oliver Bond, an opulent 
merchant of Dublin. Of these chiefs only one, Dr. M'Niven, 
was a Catholic. 

It is true, viewed in the light of English law, the object 
and design were treasonable and rebellious; and so were 
the measures of the American colonies, which resulted in 
the independence of these states. It was a rebellion, which, 
if it had been successful, would have been proudly chron- 
icled in the annals of the world as a glorious revolution. 

An unbiased mind must acknowledge the society to have 
been an honorable union, founded on resistance to British 
oppression and the rights of man. It embraced as pure and 
patriotic hearts, perhaps, as ever beat in human bosoms; 
and if, in its name, and partly through its organization, 
deeds of horror were perpetrated, they are traceable 
directly to the influence of the grand disturbing element of 
Ireland's union and prosperity — the "bigotry of Popery" 

The nature and objects of the union are so well described 
by Allison, in his History of Europe, that we transfer his 
remarks to our pages. We quote from vol. iv, page 557 : 

"The system by which this immense insurrection was 
organized, was one of the most simple, and at the same 
time one of the most efficacious, that ever was devised. 
Persons were sworn into an association in every part of 
Ireland, called the Society of United Irishmen, the real 
objects of which were kept a profound secret, while the 
ostensible ones were those best calculated to allure the 
populace. No meeting was allowed to consist of more 
than twelve members; five of these were represented by 
five members in a committee vested with the management 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



11 



of all their affairs. From each of these committees a 
deputy attended in a superior body. One or two deputies 
from these composed a county committee ; two from every 
county committee a provincial one; and they elected five 
persons to superintend the whole business of the union. 
This provisional government was elected by ballot; and the 
names of its members were only communicated to the 
secretaries of the provincial committees, who were offi- 
cially intrusted with the scrutiny of the votes. Thus, 
though their power was unbounded, their agency was 
invisible, and many hundred thousand men obeyed the dic- 
tates of an unknown authority. Liberation from tithes 
and dues to the Protestant clergy, and restoration of the 
Catholic faith, formed the chief boons presented to the 
lower classes; and, in order to effect these objects, it was 
speciously pretended that a total change of government 
was necessary. 

"The real objects of the chiefs of the insurrection were 
the overthrow of the English government, and the forma- 
tion of a republic in alliance with France. 

"Parliamentary reform was the object ostensibly held 
out .to the county, as being the one most calculated to con- 
ceal their ultimate designs, and enlist the greatest number 
of the respectable classes on their side." 

An alliance with France was deemed of the utmost im- 
portance to the movement, and the government of that 
country were willing enough to aid in humbling England, 
their greatest rival and ablest foe. Accordingly, to accom- 
plish the desired object, Wolf Tone, Lord Edward Fitz- 
gerald, and Arthur O'Connor, in 1796 went over to France. 
The following extract from the memorial presented by 
Wolf Tone, the originator of the "United Societies," to the 
French Directory, in February, 1*796, will cast some addi- 
tional light upon the state of Ireland : 



72 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



"The Catholics of Ireland, 3,150,000, are trained from 
their infancy in a hereditary hatred and abhorrence of the 
English name. For these five years they have fixed their 
eyes most earnestly on France, whom they look upon, with 
great justice, as fighting their battles, as well as those of 
all mankind who are oppressed. Of this class, I will stake 
my head, there are 500,000 men who would fly to the 
standard of the republic, if they saw it once displayed in 
the cause of liberty and their country. 

" The republic may also rely with confidence on the dis- 
senters, actuated by reason and reflection, as well as the 
Catholics, impelled by misery and inflamed by detestation 
of the English name. 

"In the year 1*791 the dissenters of Belfast first formed 
the club of United Irishmen — so called, because in that 
club for the first time dissenters and Catholics were seen 
together in harmony and union. Corresponding' clubs were 
rapidly formed, the object of which was to subvert the 
tyranny of England and establish the independence of Ire- 
land, and frame a free republic on the broad basis of liberty 
and equality. These clubs were rapidly filled, and extended 
in June last over two-thirds of that province. Their mem- 
bers are all bound by an oath of secrecy, and could, I have 
not the smallest doubt, on a proper occasion, raise the 
entire force of the province of Ulster, the most populous, 
warlike, and best informed in the nation." 

The design of the United Irishmen, in these papers is 
undisguisedly set forth — the independence of Ireland as a 
republic. The measures taken to carry it out, in some instan- 
ces, may be questionable, but the great object arrived at 
was worthy and patriotic. 

Nor does the following oath, which was taken by the 
members of the association, breathe any other than a liberal 
spirit. The Rev. G. Taylor, in his history, says: 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



13 



"The rebels now made no secret of their united oaths. 
The following was printed by order of the council for di- 
recting the affairs of the county of Wexford : 

" Test Oath. — I, A. B., do voluntarily declare that I will 
persevere in endeavoring to form a brotherhood of affection, 
among Irishmen of every religious persuasion; and that I 
will also persevere in my endeavors to obtain equal, full, 
and adequate representation of all the people of Ireland. I 
do further declare, that neither hopes, fears, rewards, nor 
punishments, shall ever induce me, directly or indirectly, to 
inform on, or give evidence against any member, or mem- 
bers, of this, or similar societies, for any act or expression 
of theirs, done or made, collectively or individually, in or 
out of this society, in pursuance of the spirit of this obli- 
gation, so help me God." 

Tone, in his autobiography, thus expresses his own views 
at the time he organized the society : 

"For my own part, I think it right to mention, that, at 
this time, the establishment of a republic was not the im- 
mediate object of my speculations. My object was to 
secure the independence of my country under any form of 
government, to which I was led by a hatred of England, so 
deeply rooted in my nature, that it was rather an instinct 
than a principle. I left to others, better qualified for the in- 
quiry, the investigation and merits of the different forms of 
government, and I contented myself with laboring on my 
own system, which was luckily in perfect coincidence as to 
its operation with that of those men who viewed the ques- 
tion on a broader and juster scale than I did at the time I 
mentioned." 

These documents show that the basis and principles of 
the Irish Union were humane, liberal, and patriotic. 

The French Directory received the commissioners, or 
agents of the Irish confederation with respect, and entered 



74 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



so heartily into their plans, that in December, 1796, an 
expedition, consisting of fifteen ships, and carrying twenty- 
five thousand men, set sail for the coast of Ireland, where 
they were to be joined by the United Men, and thus strike a 
noble blow at England, the hated rival of France. This 
armament, however, was scattered and dispersed by tem- 
pestuous weather, which drove the ships from their course, 
and wrecked some. A portion of the vessels at length 
reached the Irish coast, but did not effect a landing, and 
returned to France without accomplishing any thing. 

But the Irish were still assured that, by the month of 
May or June, 1*798, France would send a sufficient force to 
render them efficient aid. Cherishing the brightest antici- 
pations, the leading patriots continued to organize societies, 
procure arms, appoint officers — thus deliberately preparing 
for a terrible contest. Two hundred thousand men were 
sworn and armed, and waiting impatiently the signal to rise 
and conquer; and, to all appearance, their prospect of 
success was flattering indeed. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



75 



CHAPTER V. 

Indications of rebellion in the county of "Wexford — Plot of 
Papists against Protestants — Catholic bigotry the cause of Ire- 
land's ruin — Proof of Catholic plot — Black test, or secret oaths — 
Catholic priests take the lead — Alarming signs of rebellion — A 
mark on the children of Catholics — Shrubberies gleaned for pike 
handles. 

Societies of United Men were organized in every part of 
the densely-populated county of Wexford, in which Mr. G. 
resided. They embraced some Protestant gentlemen of 
talent and large fortune. The love of liberty burned in 
the bosoms of Irishmen, and patriot hearts beat high for 
freedom ; and the songs and ballads of the nation wafted 
over hill and dale the notes of " Universal Emancipation." 

But beneath all this frame- work of systematic organiza- 
tion, liberal principle, and exalted patriotism, there was 
warmed into being, and nursed to strength, a plot of deep, 
dark, and malignant character. It was a conspiracy of 
Popery to extirpate Protestants. 

It is the genius of Popery to contaminate whatever it 
touches. Any cause, however good, would be ruined by 
its alliance. Its spirit, its essence, is gall and poison; its 
slightest contact, corruption. The Papal power is a mighty 
upas, whose roots strike deep, whose branches extend far, 
but whose breath is mortal; and far around, beneath its 
gloomy shade, lie the bleaching bones of its deluded vic- 
tims. Liberty cannot breathe where Popery reigns. 

What good has the Church of Rome ever done ? What 
great or noble enterprise has she ever aided ? Good men 
and benevolent have occasionally been found in her ranks, 
but they were so in spite of her errors ; they were few and 
far between, and were exceptions to the general rule. 
Where has she sought to enlighten the nations with the 



76 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

pure word of God? Where has she lifted her finger to 
burst the fetters of political tyranny? And if she has, 
with a zeal worthy of a better cause, urged her Jesuit 
missionaries to the ends of the earth, to make proselytes 
to her creed, may it not be too truly asked, where has she 
ever found a people under heaven that she has not made 
worse instead of better? 

It was the spirit of Roman bigotry that blasted the 
hopes of Ireland. Freedom was a word which, to Catholic 
priests, implied the extirpation of all heretics. Where good 
men and true sought the rights of man, these minions of 
the Holy See sought revenge on Protestants. The lamented 
Emmet said to the court which consigned him to destruc- 
tion, "What Washington did for America, I would have 
done for my country;" but Roman priests might justly 
have said, " What Nero did for Rome, and what Robespierre 
did for France, we would have done for Ireland." The 
truth and justice of these observations will appear but 
too well founded, as we proceed with a narration of the 
insurrection. 

Writers, favorable to the Catholic cause, have, in giving 
the history of those times, endeavored to mislead the public 
mind, and to divert resentment from the guilty, by affirming 
that the savage barbarities committed by the Papists on 
the Protestants were done in self-defense, or to retaliate 
equal outrages committed on them, by the government 
authorities or by lawless troops. But it is clearly in evi- 
dence that, before there was any outbreak, there was a 
secret combination, consisting of Roman Catholics only, 
whose object and design was the extirpation of the Protes- 
tant population of Ireland. 

In support of this position, so strenuously denied by 
some, we adduce, first, the following extracts from the 
memorials of Wolf Tone to the French Directory : 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



17 



" The Catholics have also an organization, commencing 
about the same time with the club last mentioned, [the 
United Irishmen,] but composed of Catholics only. Until 
within a few months, this organization baffled the utmost 
vigilance of the Irish government, unsuccessfully applied to 
discover its principles ; and to this hour, I believe, they are 
unapprised of its extent." "I suppose there is no con- 
spiracy — if a whole people can be said to conspire — which 
has continued for so many years as this has done, where 
the secret has been so religiously kept, and where, in so 
vast a number, so few traitors are to be found." (Allison's 
History, page 443.) 

Rev. George Taylor, in his History of the Rebellion in 
the County of Wexford, says, (page 127,) "There was 
another oath taken by the Papists, which the disaffected 
Protestants knew nothing of; this was called the 'Black 
test, 1 and was as follows: 'Every loyal Irish Protestant 
heretic I shall murder; and this I swear.' 

" Such as bound themselves by this oath had a pass- word 
by which they knew each other anywhere they might meet. 
This pass-word was the initials of the several words in the 
oath ; and no individual knew this but such as were sworn. 
' Eliphismatis ' was the pass- word." 

This project of putting Protestants to death was talked 
over by priests, and understood in secret clubs of Papists ; 
but not a word on the subject was whispered in the societies 
of "United Men," where all religious persuasions met. On 
the contrary, Protestant gentlemen were elected to important 
offices, and the doctrine of a universal brotherhood of Irish- 
men maintained. 

Profound, however, as was the policy of the priests and 
their adherents, they could not wholly conceal from the 
eagle eyes of the watchful their deep-laid schemes. Gloomy 
foreshadowings began to cross the minds of many Protes- 



78 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

tants — fears that, if victory and independence should crown 
the struggle of the "United Men," the great majority being 
Papists, they might turn their arms against Protestants, for 
their extirpation. 

These considerations, and the depredations of the Defend- 
ers, gave rise to the Protestant association of "Orangemen," 
whom the Catholics considered their bitter and sworn ene- 
mies, but who, in reality, were only associations of Loyalists, 
pledged to the defense of the government and laws, imtil 
they could be peacably improved. These apprehensions of 
Catholic designs were greatly increased, especially in the 
county of Wexford, by the uncommon activity and devo- 
tions of the Roman Church. 

In the beginning of the year 1798 a new zeal seemed to 
inspire the priests. The chapels were crowded, and mass, 
which had heretofore been attended chiefly on the Sab- 
bath, was now celebrated throughout the country every 
day. The chapel at Ballycannow had a large congregation 
every day, at morning and evening prayers. The ground on 
which it stood was in sight of Mr. Gurley's father-in-law's, 
who had given it to the Catholics some years before. The 
officiating priest was Rev. Michael Murphy, one who took 
an active part in the Rebellion. He was a man of profound 
policy, had not been long in holy orders, and pursued such 
a course to conceal his deep-laid schemes, that he was hardly 
suspected as being favorable to the insurrection until the 
cloud broke ; and then he took a decided stand as the cham- 
pion of the Rebellion. We shall hereafter see his fate. 

Another circumstance which increased the alarm was 
this : it was given out that a certain holy father had, by a 
dream or revelation, been notified that a great plague was 
to break out among Catholic children, of fifteen years and 
under. The nature of the plague was also revealed : their 
brains were to boil out at the back of the head. The only 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



19 



charm to prevent so deplorable a result, was to tie round 
the neck of each child a piece of red tape, it having been 
first brought to the priest, to be sprinkled with holy water. 
This was early in the spring, and was to be worn till the 
month of June, when the danger would be over. (Taylor.) 

Immediately the country shops were drained of this 
article, and large quantities were ordered from Dublin to 
supply the immense demand, although half a yard was the 
amount usually called for at a time; and soon a scarlet 
thread or tape distinguished every Catholic child. 

It was impossible to resist the conviction that this was a 
sign or mark, to distinguish the wearer from others, like 
that on the door-posts of the Israelites, when the destroying 
angel passed over the land of Egypt. 

The month of May had been designated as the time when 
French troops would arrive, when it was expected a general 
outbreak would occur. If, then, the indiscriminate murder 
of Protestants should become the order of the day, as some 
may have expected, this peculiar sign would indicate the 
children of the true faith from those of the heretics. Some 
of the priests were closely questioned on the subject: they 
pretended to be ignorant of the matter, and, probably 
alarmed at the too great boldness of the movement, spoke 
against the practice. 

These, with many other circumstances, such as the con- 
stant manufacture of pikes by the Papist smiths, and the 
gleaning of gentlemen's nurseries for handles or staffs 
thereof, with various nightly depredations, gave a gloomy 
aspect to the country. A storm seemed to be gathering, 
and none could tell where it would burst forth. 



80 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GDRLEY. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Dublin headquarters of Conspirators — Arrest of Leaders by- 
Government — Capture of Lord Edward Fitzgerald — His death — 
Plan of attack on Dublin — Its defeat — Cause — Prospects of revo- 
lution at the capital blasted — County of Wexford the centre and 
vortex of Insurrection — Hypocritical conduct of Priests to blind 
Government — Catholics take oath of allegiance — Their Memorial — 
The Rebellion not a struggle for liberty — Arrest of B. B. Harvy — 
Rising of Papists under priest John Murphy — Signal fires seen by 
Mr. Gurley — Murphy's men defeat cavalry — Death of officers — Boo- 
key's house attacked and burned. 

The city of Dublin was the headquarters of the conspira- 
tors, and was designed to be the theatre of their first grand 
achievements. In this city the Irish Parliament still held its 
sittings. The imminent danger which seemed impending, 
induced Lord Moria, on the 19th of February, 1*798, to 
make an eloquent speech in favor of some measures of con- 
ciliation ; but it was too late ; for on the same day the Com- 
mittee of United Irishmen came to the conclusion to agree 
to no terms but a total separation from Great Britain. 

Hitherto the committee and leaders had succeeded in con- 
cealing their names and persons, though their plans and de- 
signs were to a great extent knoAvn. At length, however, 
government was made acquainted with the names of the 
principal committee; and on the 12th day of March, while 
this committee, with other distinguished leaders, were in se- 
cret session at the house of Oliver Bond, fourteen of them 
were arrested by order of the Lord Lieutenant. These ar- 
rests included the most active and influential members of the 
Union: Emmet, M'Niven, and Bond being of the number. 

Lord Edward Fitzgerald escaped at this time ; but on the 
19th of May he was discovered in an obscure street of the 
town, where he resorted for concealment, and from whence 
he still kept up correspondence with the various leaders and 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Si 



committees of the United Men. Fitzgerald was in bed when 
Captain Ryan, accompanied by Justice Swan, entered his 
room and demanded him to surrender as prisoner to his 
Majesty. The sleeping chieftain awoke, and finding he was 
betrayed into the hands of his enemies, a most desperate 
struggle ensued, in which he gave Captain Ryan a mortal 
blow and dangerously wounded Justice Swan. In the mean- 
time he received a ball in his shoulder, which disabled 
him ; and, other officers of the police coming in, he gave 
himself up and was taken into custody. He languished 
under his wounds, and died in prison on the 3d of the fol- 
lowing month. 

Lord Fitzgerald was a young nobleman of the most re- 
spectable connections. He was brother to the Duke of 
Leinster, and married to a daughter of the Duke of Orleans. 
A man of daring courage, great powers of mind, and admira- 
bly adapted to the perilous work of revolutionary excite- 
ment and commotion, his tragical end threw a gloom over 
the minds and hopes of his associates. The vacancies 
created by these misfortunes, in the committees, were filled 
with men inferior to those who had taken the lead, but still 
men of commendable abilities. Arrangements were now 
made to attack the garrison and take the city of Dublin, on 
the 23d of May. Thousands of United Men on that day 
entered the city, for the purpose of joining in the work of 
destruction, and great numbers were advancing toward the 
place by all the roads from the surrounding country. 

At this critical moment JSTeilson, the commander-in-chief, 
was arrested in the street, after a desperate struggle : hear- 
ing that their leader was committed to prison, several thou- 
sand insurgents, who were waiting impatiently for the signal 
of attack, dispersed. The plan was to assemble by beat of 
drum : and it is well known, says Sir Richard Musgrove, in 
his History of the Rebellion, "that in an hour more the 



82 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



fate of the city and of its loyal inhabitants would have been 
decided." 

The prompt and energetic measures of the government 
prevented, for the time being, the plans on the city. Some 
skirmishes, however, took place in the vicinity of the capital. 
The remaining chiefs put themselves at the head of such 
forces as assembled. In the neighborhood of Carlow, forty 
miles from Dublin, some fifteen hundred insurgents encoun- 
tered a detachment of several hundred regular troops, but 
were routed with great loss. But there were still within 
two days' march of Dublin more than two hundred thou- 
sand United Irishmen, one-half of whom would have been 
sufficient to have completed the revolution in the capital. 
Allison says, in his History of Europe, in regard to this par- 
ticular, that "Ulster, in which province alone one hundred 
and fifty thousand United Irishmen are said to have been 
enrolled and mustered, declined the contest." The province 
of Ulster declined the contest! Why did they decline? 
They were banded and sworn, and armed, and trained. The 
truth is, the " mystery of iniquity " had already began to 
work; the ulterior designs of the Catholic combination was 
beginning to be apparent. The inhabitants of Ulster were 
chiefly Protestants, the descendants of a colony of Scotch- 
men, introduced by King James h These were Protestant 
dissenters, and were enrolled as United Men to obtain a 
release from tithes, or perhaps independence. The chief 
reliance of the leaders of the revolution was placed on these 
men, and many of them were officers under their organiza- 
tions. When, therefore, the impression became strong that 
the extirpation of Protestantism was to be the watchword 
with the Papist community, these men naturally " declined 
the contest." They detested the English heirarchy much ; 
but they dreaded Papal domination more ; and such was 
their number and influence, that they deterred even the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



83 



Catholics among them from a general rising. Thus it 
appears evident that the success of the scheme for Irish 
liberty, in its progress, was paralyzed by the bigotry of the 
Roman Church. 

The prospects of the insurgents at the capital being 
blasted, the plan now was to muster their forces and gather 
strength in other quarters, and then, after subduing the 
inferior places, unite their different divisions, and make the 
conquest of Dublin the end and triumph of their labors. 
Accordingly, Wexford became the great centre and vortex 
of insurrection. Here the great united army was assem- 
bled, the National Committee instituted, the great battles 
fought, and the result reached. We shall, therefore, en- 
deavor to give the proceedings of the insurgents in this part 
of the country. 

Early in the year of the insurrection, a hypocritical effort 
was made by the Catholic priests to deceive the govern- 
ment and blind the eyes of the Protestants to the impending 
danger. 

To effect this they induced their flocks, assembled in their 
chapels, to listen with apparent candor and interest to pro- 
posals made by the magistrates and authorities of the crown, 
to take an oath of allegiance, and thus dispel all doubts of 
their true loyalty. The Earl of Mount Norris prepared 
appropriate oaths, and administered them to such as were 
willing to take them. 

On the 19th of January, 1798, priest Murphy, of Bally- 
cannow, assembled his men at the chapel and marched them 
to the authorities, where they took the following oath : 

" I do hereby declare upon the Holy Evangelists, and as 
I hope to be saved through the merits of my blessed Lord 
and Savior, Jesus Christ, that I will be true and faithful 
to his Majesty, King George III, and to the succession 
of his family to the throne ; that I will support and main- 



84 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



tain the constitution as by law established ; that I am not 
a United Irishman, and that I will never take the United 
Irishmen's oath; that I am bound by every obligation, 
human and divine, to give all information in my power to 
prevent tumult and disorder; that I will neither aid nor 
assist the enemies of my .King or my country, and that I 
will give up all sorts of arms in my possession. All the 
above I voluntarily swear, so help me God." 

A printed copy of this oath was given to each person 
that was sworn — on the bottom of which was written the 
following certificate : 

"The above oath was taken before me, this 19th day of 
January, 1798, by A. B., of Ballycannow parish. 

"Mount Norris." 

The different parishes were now perfectly secure, having 
taken so strict an oath, and were wrapped as in a mantle 
from all suspicion. 

But it soon became evident that they were busy in 
making every preparation for an outbreak. 

The appointing of officers, the manufacture of pikes, the 
procuring and concealing of fire-arms, the gleaning of woods 
and shrubberies for pike handles, still went on with increased 
activity. This again alarmed the magistrates. The county 
wore so serious an aspect that, on application to govern- 
ment, eighteen parishes were declared to be in a state of 
insurrection, and the Lord Lieutenant and Privy Coimcil 
issued a proclamation, declaring the entire county to be 
under martial law. 

Several persons were apprehended and imprisoned, and 
the whole county was in a state of evident and great excite- 
ment. 

The expected help not yet having arrived from France, 
the Roman clergy again formed another cloak to conceal 
their dark designs. Voluntary addresses were signed by 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



85 



the leading members of the Catholic Church and for- 
warded to the Lord Lieutenant, reaffirming their loyalty. 
We subjoin one of these addresses, as a specimen of the 
whole : 

" At a general meeting of the Roman Catholic inhabitants 
of the parish of Ballycannow, in the chapel, on Sunday, the 
1st of April, 1798, the following declarations of loyalty 
were unanimously agreed to, and ordered to be forwarded 
to his Excellency, Earl Camden, Lord Lieutenant, General, 
and General Governor of Ireland : 

"May it please your Excellency — We, the Roman Catholic 
inhabitants of the parish of Ballycannow, in the county of 
Wexford, this day assembled at the chapel of Ballycannow, 
holding in abhorrence the barbarous outrages lately com- 
mitted, and seditious conspiracies now existing in this king- 
dom by traitors and rebels, styling themselves United Irish- 
men, think it incumbent on us thus publicly to vow and 
declare our unalterable attachment and loyalty to our 
most revered and beloved sovereign, King George III, and 
our determined resolution to support and maintain his 
rights, and our happy constitution. And we do further 
pledge ourselves to co-operate with our Protestant brethren 
of this kingdom, in opposing to the utmost in our power 
any foreign or domestic enemy who may dare to invade his 
Majesty's dominions, or disturb the peace and tranquility of 
this country. . . Resolved, That the above declaration 
be signed by our pastor, the Rev. Michael Murphy, and a 
few of the principal parishioners ; and that the same be 
forwarded to the Right Hon. Earl Mount Norris, with a 
request that his Lordship will transmit it to his Excellency, 
the Lord Lieutenant. Rev. Michael Murphy, 

" Coadjutor Priest." 

This address was signed by fourteen of the principal citi- 
zens of the parish : and it is worthy of note, that they and 

8 



86 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



the priest at their head were among the most zealous and 
active of the insurgents during the Rebellion ; thus demon- 
strating their deep hypocrisy and perjury. While, then, 
we trace the rash and cruel progress of the insurgents with 
a faithful adherence to truth and facts, let it be distinctly 
understood that we can no longer regard it as the struggle 
of freedom with tyranny — the effort of the true Irish 
brotherhood to throw off the shackles of political despot- 
ism — but the worst of all despotisms — ecclesiastical bigotry 
enlisted to extirpate Protestants, a fierce crusade against the 
rights of conscience and the word of God. 

If the spirit of the oath of the United Irishmen had been 
regarded, and all denominations moved steadily forward, 
sacrificing their prejudices on the altar of a pure patriotism, 
the independence of Ireland might have been secured — or 
at least honorable terms have been obtained — and all true 
patriots would have rejoiced; but, alas! Ireland, long op- 
pressed by England, was now to become her own oppressor. 
Priests from the altars of the Roman Catholic Church were 
to be the first to break this brotherhood, divide the strength 
of the party, revive the feuds of former ages, and extin- 
guish in the blood of the innocent the last hope of freedom. 

All through the months of April and May an awful sus- 
pense, like a gloomy cloud, hung over the country — every 
thing gave indications of a gathering storm. 

At length, on Saturday, the 26th of May, Beauchamp 
Bagnel Harvy, a gentleman of large fortune and a Protes- 
tant, was arrested by an order from government. He was 
a United Irishman — a man of amiable disposition and exten- 
sive influence. He, with Edward Fitzgerald and John Col- 
clough, was lodged in the city prison of Wexford. 

The arrest of so distinguished a member of the cause 

o 

brought matters to a crisis ; the news spread like lightning 
through the surrounding country, and before the next sun 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM OURLEY. 



SI 



rose tlie long-gathering clouds burst in desolating fury on 
the ill-fated land. 

John Murphy, parish priest of Bolavogue, who but a few 
weeks before had led his parishioners forth to take the oath 
of allegiance, was the first to sound the trump of war, and 
to proclaim that "the hour of liberty had arrived/' 

In his chapel, he had often inculcated the doctrine that 
the extirpation of heretics was right and praiseworthy, and 
pleasing to God — and now he was to give his faithful flock 
some practical lessons in the work. Early that night he 
assembled his deluded followers, informed them of the 
arrest of B. B. Harvy, represented in glowing colors the 
oppressive acts of the government, told them they were a 
persecuted and down-trodden people, painted in inspiring 
strains the blessing of freedom, and bid them strike for 
liberty. 

Mr. Gurley had watched, with deep solicitude and anxious 
heart, the gradual developments of the times. He saw 
Harvy and his associates, as they were conducted to 
prison. He observed clusters of his Catholic neighbors at 
the corners of the streets, conversing together, with agitated 
countenances and menacing gestures ; and he informed his 
wife, and some Protestant neighbors who came in, that he 
believed trying times were at hand. 

At ten o'clock, that night, a fire gleamed through the 
darkness, on a neighboring hill. It was soon answered by 
the blazing up of another, in an opposite direction — then 
a third and fourth, till almost every hill-top glowed 
with the preconcerted signal. Mr. Gurley looked forth 
from his chamber window on these alarming indications. 
"It has come at last," said he to his pale and trembling 
wife. " We shall have hot work now, my love. But God 
will be our refuge. We must trust in him alone." His 
young companion, shuddering, folded her babe closer to 



88 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



her bosom, as if it -were in danger. They then descended 
to the parlor, and communicated the intelligence to two 
sisters of Mrs. Gurley, who had that evening arrived to 
spend the Whitsuntide holydays with her. They united in 
prayer for the protection of almighty God, and committed 
their cause to his hands. 

While the signal fires were gleaming from the hills, 
Murphy's men came flocking round him, armed with 
guns, pikes, and stones. While they were assembling, a 
Lieutenant Bookey, who, with eighteen cavalry, was patroll- 
ing, to prevent disturbances, rode that way, in order to 
disperse them. As the tramp of the horsemen was heard, 
Murphy ordered a part of his men to conceal themselves 
behind a hedge which lined one side of the road. The 
cavalry passed on, undisturbed by the ambush, until they 
had nearly reached the main body, who were drawn up in 
order, awaiting, in silence, their arrival. Bookey was a 
brave officer, but as humane as brave. Anxious to prevent 
a conflict and effusion of blood, he called on the rebels to 
cease from their hostile movement, and retire to their homes. 
While he was talking, priest Murphy coolly ordered his men 
to fire, which was instantly obeyed. The fire was promptly 
returned by the troops. The men in ambush now, from 
behind the hedges, poured a shower of balls and stones 
upon the cavalry. At this moment the Lieutenant was 
struck in the face by a stone, which so disabled him, that 
he fell from his horse, and was soon miserably butchered. 
Some others were shot; and the remainder, seeing their 
imminent danger, retreated in haste, leaving eight of the 
insurgents dead on the spot. 

The flight of the horsemen gave fresh courage to the 
insurgents; and, animated by their holy commander, they 
now, being in considerable numbers, rushed forward to the 
house of the fallen Lieutenant, which was some miles dis- 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



SO 



tant, in order to wreak their vengeance on its inmates. 
Fortunately, the family had been removed to a place of 
safety. The premises were left in care of two Protestants — 
Hawkins and Ward, by name — together with five Catholic 
domestics of the late Lieutenant. 

It was one o'clock, in the morning, when the rebels, four 
hundred in number, reached the residence of Bookey. The 
Catholic domestics stole out of the house, and joined the 
insurgents; but the two Protestants, having four guns, 
resolved on defending the house to the last extremity. The 
insurgents surrounded the dwelling, and fired in at the win- 
dows, which was returned by the men within, with true 
Spartan courage. Every shot from them brought some 
one of the assailants to the earth. It was a desperate and 
most unequal conflict — four hundred against two men. At 
length the door was broken in with a sledge-hammer, and 
candles lighted in the hall. 

Hawkins and Ward were in the second story, where, 
from the windows, they had kept up a steady fire on the 
crowd below. Priest Murphy entered the hall, and ordered 
some men, who had lights in their hands, to go up stairs, 
and see who were in the house. Aware of the perilous 
enterprise, the men refused to obey ; on which he drew his 
sword, and commanded them to go up instantly, declaring 
that, if they refused, he would cut off their heads. Intim- 
idated by this threat, they immediately ran up; but, on 
reaching the top of the steps, tiny were shot, and tumbled 
down at the feet of their inhuman commander, in the ago- 
nies of death. At this the rage of the assailants knew no 
bounds. They rushed into the kitchen, and, taking fire 
from the hearth, communicated it to various parts of the 
house, determined that Ward and his companion should not 
escape. The brave defenders of the house heard the floor 
crack beneath them; and, almost suffocated with smoke, 

8* 



90 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

they escaped to an upper story, and closed the door, to 
keep out, as much as possible, the smoke. Here, with 
amazing fortitude, they continued to fire on the maddened 
crowd ; and the groans and execrations, from below, told 
that they were not firing in vain. As the floor under them 
grew hot, and the flames burst from the windows beneath, 
it became evident to the Protestants that they must either 
venture out through the windows and be piked by the 
rebels, or be devoured by the flames. 

Ward now called to Hawkins to come to him, that they 
might die together rather than fall into the hands of the 
wretches who thirsted for their blood. Having ceased 
firing, Murphy concluded they were dead ; and, apprehend- 
ing the report of fire-arms and the blaze of the building 
might bring troops from Wexford to attack them, he with- 
drew his men from the place, taking their dead and wounded 
with them. Finding that the rebels had retired, Ward and 
Hawkins succeeded in getting out of the gable window on 
to a building which was not yet on fire, and so mercifully 
escaped a dreadful death. The rebels were astonished 
beyond measure afterward, when they learned that they 
were not dead. 

The insurgent force now moved toward Oulard, a place 
a few miles from Wexford. They set fire to all the Protes- 
tant houses on their way, whistling and yelling to attract 
their associates from their homes. Their howlinsfs, borne on 
the dewy air, echoed from the surrounding hills, the flames 
of the burning buildings threw a lurid glare on the gloomy 
sky, and, as the morning dawned, a heavy cloud of smoke 
hung over the whole country. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



91 



CHAPTER VII. 

Sabbath morn — Murder of Rev. Robert Burrows and parish- 
ioners — Death of Rev. Francis Turner and nine others — Wexford 
in consternation — Mr. Gurley attended preaching at five o'clock 
in the morning — Saw smoke of burning houses on his return — 
Soldiers cut off — Battle of Enniscorthy — Troops fly to "Wexford — 
Situation of Protestants — Mr. Gurley's house open to refugees — 
His advice to them — Attack on "Wexford expected — High spirits 
of Murphy and the insurgents. 

It was Sabbath morning, with its holy light and rest. 
Consecrated time, it was naturally associated with the tem- 
ples, the worship, and the ministers of God. Nor was the 
association lost to the rebel crowd — recollecting that near 
their route was the beautiful residence of a most worthy 
and devoted clergyman of the Church of England, the 
Rev. Robert Burrows, of Kyle. He was accompanied by 
five of his parishioners, who had, in their alarm, come to 
his house. Presuming that this minister was not likely to 
become a convert to their creed, they fiercely attacked his 
house and forced their way in. His entreaties for mercy 
and tears of despair were in vain. The minister soon fell 
mangled with pikes ; and in a moment's time his five parish- 
ioners, who had come to him for counsel in their extremity, 
were weltering in their blood on his floor. His son was 
wounded, but not killed. The torch was now applied to his 
dwelling; and while the columns of mingled smoke and 
flame ascended, as if for a witness to heaven against them, 
they proceeded on their way. Parties of cavalry and yeo- 
manry, in hope of arresting the course of the insurgents 
by retaliation, now fired the buildings of the Papists. This, 
however, was bad policy, and wholly lost on them, for they 
raged like mad men, and, with shouts, screams, and impre- 
cations, continued their dreadful work. 



92 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



In the course of the morning the rebel force was strength- 
ened by some desertions from the Irish volunteers or 
yeomanry. Sergeant Edward Roach deserted from a com- 
pany of cavalry, and with twenty of his men, who were 
Catholics, went over to the insurgents. 

The force now amounted to several thousands : they were 
separated into two grand divisions. Roach was placed at 
the head of one, and Murphy continued to lead and animate 
the other. Their number was hourly increasing. As from 
each hamlet the hardy peasantry issued forth, they were 
hailed by the swelling crowd with deafening shouts of 
"Erin go Bragh !" 

Rev. Francis Turner, rector of Edermine, was a clergy- 
man of most unblemished character. Several of his parish- 
ioners had come to his house for counsel and safety, a part 
of whom requested the baptism of a child. As the lips of 
the minister pronounced the last words of the solemn 
service, the shouts of the advancing rebels broke on his 
ears. Despairing, from his knowledge of their character, 
of any hope from their clemency, he communicated his 
views to his neighbors ; and the little band, relying on God, 
resolved to defend themselves to the last, as their only 
hope. The windows were fastened down and the doors 
bolted. They surrounded the house with horrid yells, set 
the out-buildings on fire, and demanded admittance to the 
mansion. The clergyman looked out of a window and 
asked what they wanted. They replied, " Surrender, and 
give up your arms." He told them he would never yield 
to their demand but with his life. The men who had mus- 
kets were now called to the front and ordered to fire into 
all the windows. The leaden hail whistled through the 
shivered glass and rattled against the walls and furniture 
of the parsonage. Well provided with fire-arms, Turner and 
his friends made a gallant resistance by firing incessantly 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



93 



from the chamber windows on the thick ranks of the assail- 
ants, some of whom at every discharge of the pieces bit 
the earth. During this unequal conflict, four of the insur- 
gents, with loaded pieces, crept cautiously to a close and 
favorable position, and coolly waited till Mr. Turner came 
to the window to discharge his piece, when all four fired 
together and blew off one side of his face. Paralyzed with 
terror as they saw their beloved pastor fall, the parishioners 
ceased firing, and, in the excess of their grief, deeming 
further resistance useless, gave themselves up into the 
hands of their cruel enemies. Bursting through a window, 
the assailants, frenzied with rage, now set fire to the library. 
Then rushing up stairs, they found the body of the unfor- 
tunate clergyman weltering in blood, and around him his 
terrified brethren. 

In spite of their entreaties for mercy, these were all, 
nine in number, murdered on the spot, and their mangled 
bodies and blood covered the floor of the apartment ; one 
of these was the father of the child just baptized, and two 
others the sponsors. The flames bursting through the roof 
of the edifice, mounted high in air, and in a short time the 
beautiful parsonage of Edermine was laid in ashes, and the 
bones of its worthy rector were mingled with the smol- 
dering ruins. • 

The assembled forces, now several thousand in number, 
halted within six miles of Wexford. While here a detach- 
ment of cavalry, consisting of about two hundred, went 
out to meet them. When the insurgents saw the horsemen 
approaching, they opened to the right and left to receive 
them, with such deafening shouts and yells as defy descrip- 
tion. The troops perceiving their vast numbers and strength 
of position, did not deem it prudent to risk an engagement, 
and therefore immediately retreated to Gorey, a place sev- 
eral miles distant, to await reinforcements. 



94 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



The retirement of the troops gave fresh encouragement 
to the rebels. But instead of a manly pursuit of the flying 
cavalry, or directly marching to the rescue of Harvy and 
his associates from prison, they, coward-like, went to the 
house of a fine old gentleman, a Mr. Samuel Maud, a Protes- 
tant and a most peaceable man. After robbing the house 
of every thing valuable, it was to be hoped they would have 
spared the life of its owner, who was ninety-six years old ; 
but his thinned and whitened locks were no security. 
They led him into the hall, and one thrust a barbed pike 
through his neck, and another darted a pike into his breast ; 
others joined in piking him in various parts of the body, 
until death ended his agony. 

Such were some of the first-fruits of liberty — deeds 
enacted under the special direction of the Roman Catholic 
clergy — acts of cold-blooded atrocity, seldom exceeded 
even by savages themselves; and all performed on the 
sacred Sabbath. 

Most of the Protestants in the country now gathered to 
the garrison towns. Such were Ross, Wexford, Ennis- 
corthy, and Gorey. Anguish and terror were depicted on 
every loyal face. In Gorey alone there were not less than 
two thousand refugees, who had left their burning dwellings 
and property behind them to seek shelter there, besides 
the inhabitants of the place. The streets were thronged 
with soldiers and yeomanry, and persons with fire-arms 
were stationed in the houses, and at the windows, every 
moment expecting an attack. Trumpets were sounding, 
and the drums beat to arms every half hour — and all was 
melancholy and confusion. 

The city of Wexford was full of consternation. Death 
and destruction seemed to be hovering, with dark and out- 
spread wings, over the country. Towering high in air were 
seen columns of smoke in various directions, from the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



05 



burning dwellings of the poor and the flaming palaces of 
the rich. 

Every exertion was made to defend the city; bar- 
riers of wood and stone were erected in all the leading 
avenues, and most of the Loyalists volunteered to defend 
the place ; and there was strong hope that they would be 
able to accomplish it. 

Amid all the commotion of the city on that fearful day, 
Mr. Gurley repaired as usual to Wesleyan preaching. How 
sweet and consoling was the word of God to the little 
flock, several of whom were never to meet again on earth. 
While the minister, the Rev. Andrew Taylor, proclaimed to 
them the words of the Psalmist, " Beneath the shadow of 
thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities 
shall be over-passed," a sacred power rested on the con- 
gregation. Every face was bedewed with tears ; but that 
perfect love which casteth out all fear caused them to 
triumph, and they left the solemn place of association ready 
to go, if it were God's will, to prison or to death for Christ's 
sake and for his cause. Referring to this time, Mr. Gurley 
in one of his letters says : " On my return from meeting, as 
I was passing through the street, several persons stopped 
me and said that the Papists had risen in great numbers, 
and were murdering the Protestants in the country, and 
burning their houses. I looked around and saw the 
smoke ascending over our heads. 'Now,' said I, 'the long- 
expected time has come.' On reaching home I found my 
wife and her two sisters in the greatest alarm." The 
preaching was at five o'clock in the morning, and the news 
of the depredations had not been circulated in the city until 
after that hour. 

The garrison at Wexford was weak, but a detachment of 
one hundred and thirty men, under the command of Major 
Lombard and Col. Foote, were sent out to attack the 



00 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



insurgents. The rebel force, on the approach of the mili- 
tary, lay in ambush in the ditches, and the soldiers, after 
firing a few rounds at the main body who were on the side 
of a hill, charged on them. The concealed ranks arose and 
completely surrounded the party, and cut them in pieces, 
the lieutenant and two privates only escaping. Many of 
the soldiers who were slain had wives and families residing 
in the city. Their feelings and condition are thus alluded 
to by Taylor: 

"How shall I attempt to describe the situation of Wex- 
ford, when the news arrived that the party was cut off? 
The general distress and anguish — the screeching of the 
soldiers' wives and children, tearing their hair and beating 
their bosoms, incapable of consolation — was melancholy 
beyond description. In every part was weeping and wail- 
ing; so that a friend of mine went up into her garret to 
avoid the crying in the street ; but still the dismal groans 
of the widow and the fatherless assailed her. Nor did she 
know the moment she would fall by the hands of her 
own servants, who were Papists. A kind-hearted lady, 
compassionating the condition of a poor woman, whose hus- 
band had fallen in the engagement, gave her some money, 
and ordered her a bottle of wine. The poor creature gave 
a mournful look at her benefactor, but her heart was burst- 
ing — she lay down and instantly expired." 

Enniscorthy was a considerable town at the foot of Vine- 
gar Hill, which rose high above it, and was a strong and 
advantageous military position. 

The place was not overlooked by the rebel officers as an 
important post ; and it was resolved to secure it, if possible, 
as a general rallying point. It was defended by several 
companies of infantry and cavalry, under the command of 
Captain Snow. 

Early on Monday, the 28th, the insurgents, over seven 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



97 



thousand strong, marched within one mile of Enniscorthy 
and halted, waiting some time, expecting the military com- 
mander and magistrates would offer to surrender the town 
and garrison. 

No proposals of the kind being made, they began to pre- 
pare for taking the place by storm. 

The whole body of insurgents were drawn up on a rising 
ground to hear mass from the celebrated priest Murphy, of 
Bolavoge. As soon as the service was concluded, Murphy 
laid aside his sacerdotal vestments, and, drawing his sword, 
placed himself at the head of his men and marched toward 
the town. 

Captain Snow drew his men up at one end of the town 
and waited the arrival of the insurgents. The latter ad- 
vanced in vast numbers, rushing impetuously forward, dis- 
charging their fire-arms and brandishing their pikes. Their 
fierce onset was met by the infantry with a heavy and well- 
directed fire, which caused the front ranks of the assailants 
to recoil ; and for a few moments a severe conflict ensued. 
The insurgents now artfully feigned a retreat, and retired 
toward the river, which ran through the centre of the 
town. Supposing they were really routed, Captain Snow 
pursued them until they reached the middle of the town. 
This was all that was wanted by the insurgents. They now 
poured into the streets; took possession of the houses, 
firing from the windows ; then they set fire to the dwellings, 
and, taking advantage of the smoke, fired on the troops 
from the corners of houses and from behind garden walls. 
For three hours the battle raged with great fury ; but, at 
length, wearied with exertion and overcome by such a vast 
superiority of numbers, Captain Snow retreated to Wexford, 
leaving three hundred and fifty of the insurgents dead on 
the field. The loss of the loyal troops was forty killed and 
wounded. 

9 



98 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Most of the Protestant inhabitants of the place followed 
the retiring army to Wexford, in great distress and disorder. 
The flight of the troops was the signal for indiscriminate 
slaughter and rapine. 

The wounded Loyalists were cruelly piked ; many who 
would not leave their sick or wounded friends shared a 
similar fate. Many, induced by affection, remained with 
their wives and children — hoping to find protection from 
some one Catholic neighbor or other ; but, alas ! there was 
no mercy for any man who bore the name of Protestant ; 
and even youth of fifteen years and under were put to 
death. Taylor thus describes the scene: 

" Now parents deserted their children, and children their 
parents, never to meet more. The Rev. Samuel Haydon, 
rector of Ferns, a very old man, was murdered and thrown 
out to be devoured by swine. Richard Wheatly, a lock- 
smith, near one hundred years old, also fell a victim to their 
cruelty. The massacre became general, as soon as they got 
possession of the town. Some were murdered in the act of 
giving them freely of their own liquor ; witness, Edward Slye 
was shot by his neighbor, William Lee, while handing him 
a quart of beer. Many were torn out of the arms of their 
wives, and murdered before them in the most barbarous 
manner — nor would those women be even permitted to bury 
their husbands. Here, now, were hearts torn with sorrow 
of the deepest kind ; many a widow and fatherless orphan 
wept sore, while smoke and flames, blood and slaughter, 
shouting and blasphemy, triumphed in the desolation of this 
town." 

Amongst those who had taken refuge in Wexford, were 
several who were Wesleyan Methodists. With some of 
these Mr. Gurley was well acquainted. His house was 
open to receive them. Obliged to leave their wives and 
tender children to the mercy of their relentless foes, and 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



99 



not knowing what might be their fate, they were in great 
distress of mind. Mr. Gurley encouraged them to trust in 
God. He reminded them that their persecutors had power 
to kill the body only, but could not harm the soul. He bade 
them recollect the martyrs of old, and how they had shouted 
victory in the flames. He exhorted them to refuse all offers 
of Papists to baptize or proselyte them ; and, if called to 
die, to stand steadfast in the faith, and humbly trust in a 
faithful God. They worshiped together, and their inter- 
views were solemn and bedewed with many tears. 

An immediate attack on Wexford was now hourly ex- 
pected. The authorities of the corporation now liberated 
two of the United Irishmen, who had been imprisoned 
with B. B. Harvy, on the day the insurrection broke out, on 
condition that they should go to Enniscorthy and endeavor 
to persuade the rebels to cease from murdering their Prot- 
estant neighbors. Accordingly, Fitzgerald and Colclough 
proceeded to the rebel camp. 

Great was the joy in the insurgent army, when Fitzgerald 
arrived. He was styled by them, "Lord Edward Fitzger- 
ald," the title which belonged to the distinguished cham- 
pion of this insurrection in Dublin, but who had fallen by 
the hands of the government. Whether the liberated rebels 
kept their promise is not known ; but they themselves were 
honored with commands in the "United army." 



100 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Camp on Vinegar Hill — "Wexford surrendered to twenty thousand 
Insurgents — Mr. Gurley and family on ship — Rebels enter town — 
Murders — National Council established — Harvy appointed Presi- 
dent and Commander-in-Chief — Citizens imprisoned — Mr. Gurley 
seized and taken from ship — Set at liberty — His account of a visit 
to priest Corrin — Rebels attempt to shoot him. 

Priest Murphy, who had first sounded the tocsin of war 
in the county, was now in the highest spirits. He mar- 
shaled his victorious men, and led them up to the top of 
Vinegar Hill, which rises in the form of a cone, its summit 
being plainly visible for miles around. Here he unfurled 
the standard of liberty, and in the presence of the immense 
concourse celebrated mass. He also addressed his men in 
a warm, inflammatory speech. The glorious epoch had 
arrived, he said, to retrieve their ancient rights and free- 
dom, and to shake off the intolerable yoke of heresy and 
heretical government under which they had groaned so 
long. The speech was received with loud and long cheer- 
ing by the excited crowd. 

Murphy now established his camp on the summit of the 
hill, and chose Fitzgerald and Edward Roach to be associate 
commanders with himself. 

Thus it appears evident that this body of insurgents 
were under the sole direction of the Catholic clergy, and 
that Murphy might easily have restrained his men from 
those deeds of unprovoked barbarity which had so far 
marked their course. Regular officers appointed by the 
systematic arrangements of the United Irishmen, would 
have consented, it is believed, to no such proceedings ; but 
it is notorious, that when Protestant United Irishmen at- 
tempted to arrest such atrocities, the Papists, and espe- 
cially the priests, as will hereafter appear, sought imme- 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



101 



diately to diminish their influence, and to depose them from 
authority, that the reins might be wholly in their own guilty 
hands. 

On Wednesday morning, the 30th of May, and the fourth 
day of the insurrection, the insurgent army, consisting of 
twenty thousand armed men, took position within three 
miles of Wexford, at a place called the Three Rocks. 

While in this position they were attacked by two different 
detachments of troops. The first, ninety-six men from Wa- 
terford, who were on their way to Wexford, to join the 
garrison, with two howitzers. They were compelled to 
retreat, leaving their guns in the hands of the insurgents, 
and one-half their number dead on the field. The other 
was a body of soldiers sent out from Wexford, several hun- 
dred strong. 

These marched boldly toward the rebel ranks, and opened 
a brisk fire on their outposts ; but when, to their surprise, 
the insurgents opened on them with the howitzers they had 
just taken, and poured a volley from their muskets, they 
deemed all hope of resisting such a force vain, and therefore 
returned, but in good order, to the town. 

Although Wexford was strongly barricaded with a gar- 
rison of several hundred troops and yeomanry, yet the 
hearts of the city authorities quailed before the everywhere 
victorious assailants. A council was held by the magistrates 
and some of the leading citizens and military commanders, 
who, after anxious deliberation, decided it to be most pru- 
dent for the military to evacuate the town and let the rebels 
have peaceable possession. This was deemed at the time a 
step of very doubtful propriety; and could the council have 
foreseen the atrocities afterward committed in the city, 
during the "Reign of Terror," they would sooner have 
defended the city to the last extremity. 

But having decided to surrender the town, a counselor 
9* 



102 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Richards and his brother were deputed to go with a flag of 
truce to the United forces, at the Three Rocks, proposing to 
surrender the city, providing the enemy would be honorable 
and not molest the persons or destroy the property of the 
inhabitants. 

The Richards, on delivering their message, found them- 
selves in a most alarming situation : some proposed to put 
them to immediate death and march directly to the town ; 
and their lives were spared only on their promising that all 
the cannon, arms, and munitions of war pertaining to the 
garrison should be delivered up with the town. 

Edward Fitzgerald was sent with counselor Richards to 
conclude the terms of capitulation with the city authorities, 
the other Richards being detained as a hostage for the 
safety of Fitzgerald. 

But before they reached the city the army had withdrawn, 
taking with them all the military stores. This greatly 
enraged the insurgent leaders, and brought into imminent 
peril the lives of the Richards : but prudent counsels pre- 
vailed, and they were only detained in custody. 

The army on leaving Wexford marched toward Gorev, 
where they would await reinforcements from other parts of 
the kingdom, when they hoped to return and take possession 
of the place again. 

As soon as the determination to surrender the city to the 
rebel army was made known to the citizens, many were 
greatly enraged, and the utmost consternation prevailed 
among the Protestant inhabitants. 

Some who could do so immediately followed the retreat- 
ing army; while others crowded to the quay or dock, and 
engaged passage in different ships in the harbor, intending 
to sail for Dublin, England, or Wales. In this a few hap- 
pily succeeded ; but the most of the ships having hypocrit- 
ical, or cowardly, or perfidious commanders, took the passage 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



103 



money from hundreds, spread canvas, and sailed a little 
round the harbor, and anchored, or returned to the dock; 
so that the unfortunate passengers were surrendered to the 
mercy of their foes, after the rebels had taken possession 
of the town. 

Mr. Gurley waited with deep solicitude the determination 
of the council ; as soon as he heard it, he hastened home, 
and communicated the sad intelligence to his wife. They 
immediately concluded that the only hope of saving their 
property, and perhaps their lives, would be to take passage 
in a vessel for Dublin, where the eldest brother of Mrs. 
Gurley, a merchant, resided. Accordingly, while Mrs. 
Gurley and the servant girl hastened to prepare some food 
for the voyage, her husband, with the apprentice boy, en- 
tered the shop, which was well supplied with a good stock 
of watches, silver plate, and jewelry, amounting in value to 
several thousand dollars. The watches, jewelry, and most 
costly articles were hastily thrown into a sheet, and tied at 
the corners. This was borne on a pole between them to the 
ship, and placed in as secluded a place as possible. The 
clocks and larger articles were left on the shelves, and the 
furniture of the house, with a few exceptions, was not 
removed. The door was locked, the window-shutters fas- 
tened, and Mrs. Gurley, the servant girl, and the two sisters 
of Mrs. Gurley were conducted by Mr. Gurley to the ship. 

Mrs. Gurley sat down on the deck of the vessel, folded 
her babe to her throbbing bosom, and reclining her head on 
her husband's shoulder, gave vent to her feelings in a flood 
of tears. Still it was some comfort to trust they would 
soon be out of reach of their persecutors; that, though 
driven from their home, and much of their goods left 
behind, yet their lives Avere probably safe from the merci- 
less hands of the rebels. 

Mr. G. comforted his companion with the hope of soon 



104 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



being with her brother in Dublin, and encouraged her to 
be cheerful, and trust in the wise dispensations of an over- 
ruling Providence: "Satan," said he, "can only go the 
length of his chain." 

As the sloop moved slowly out into the harbor, the green 
banners of the triumphant insurgents were seen waving over 
the hills that environ the city; and, in a few moments, 
twenty thousand rebels filled the streets and lanes of the 
place. The little order that had been preserved in their 
march to the town, was lost as soon as they entered it. 
With shouts and screams they rushed through the streets, 
spread over the city, and commenced, in a thousand places 
at once, the work of plunder and desolation. 

A portion of the rebel force marched immediately to the 
city prison, and demanding the keys, which were given up, 
released B. B. Harvy, who was continued in confinement 
when Fitzgerald and Colclough were released. A number 
of persons known to be friends to the government were 
now murdered; not by any regular course of procedure, 
but by small gangs of rebels inflamed with drink: and 
Papists who resided in the city took advantage of the mo- 
ment to shoot those whom their interest or prejudice wished 
out of their way. Mr. John Boyd, Esq., of Wexford, a 
gentleman highly esteemed for every public virtue and 
social quality, being a brother to one of the officers of the 
loyal army, which had just retreated, was murdered in the 
most savage manner. They would not kill him at once, but 
suffered him to lie all night on the bridge, in the agonies of 
death. His sufferings were brought to a close in the morn- 
ing, by a Papist neighbor, who boasted that " out of com- 
passion he knocked his brains out with a hatchet." (Taylor's 
History. ) 

Wexford county had now become the centre and vortex 
of the insurrection; the eyes of the whole kingdom were 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 105 

turned toward it with intense interest. In a revolutionary- 
movement, it was in importance second only to Dublin, and, 
in fact, a much better point for headquarters, because of 
the absence of the numerous and eagle-eyed officers of 
government, which abound at the capital. The possession 
of the fine harbor opened a direct communication with 
France, and threw at once into the hands of the revolu- 
tionists a number of sloops and other vessels then in the 
port, and those daily arriving. The surrender of the place 
without resistance was nattering to the pride of the party, 
who now concluded that the rest of the kingdom would 
follow the example of this city, and so become an easy 
conquest. Animated with success, the triumphant leaders 
proceeded to take preliminary measures to organize a gov- 
ernment for the new-born republic. A grand national 
committee was immediately formed, and also the " Council 
of five hundred." B. B. Harvy, just liberated, was honored 
with the appointment of " President of the Council," and 
Commander-in-chief of the United forces. 

Harvy was a Protestant, the grandson of a distinguished 
clergyman of the Church of England; he was a humane 
and benevolent man, and was much esteemed by all parties 
before the Rebellion. He possessed an ample fortune, which 
increased his influence, and doubtless induced the Catholic 
leaders to favor his elevation. He was charitable himself, 
and unsuspicious of others ; and though, from pure patri- 
otism, a " United Irishman," he by no means gave credit to 
the rumor of the sanguinary designs of the Papists. He 
accepted the offices conferred on him with evident reluctance. 
He saw the controlling influence of the Catholic clergy ; but, 
confined as he had been in the jail, most probably he was 
not aware of the merciless butcheries of defenseless Prot- 
estants which had occurred ; and hoping, by moderation, to 
avert misrule and carnage, he accepted the appointment, 



106 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

trusting to the patriotic principles of the United Association 
to restrain the victorious hosts from rapine and murder. 
How much he was mistaken future events will show. Suffice 
it here to remark, the priests knew him, but he did not 
know them. They appointed him because he was a popular 
man, and for the time being could advance then cause. If 
they failed, it could be said it was a Protestant, not a 
Catholic, who was at their head, and thus diminish the 
odium which might attach to Popery ; or, if they were suc- 
cessful, and he did not come up to their views and wishes, 
they had the power in their own hands, and could dispose 
of him. But it was an unfortunate day for him when, he 
accepted the perilous post. 

The city was now swarming with armed ruffians; and 
Harvy perceived at once that if they were permitted to 
remain long there, the utmost disorder would be the conse- 
quence, and all subordination be at an end. Accordingly, 
early next day, the drums beat a call; and after great 
exertion, seconded by the authority of the priests, whom 
the masses still regarded as their chief commanders, he 
succeeded in leading back the most of the insurgents to the 
Three Rocks. A considerable force, however, was left to 
keep the garrison, and protect the new senate. The insur- 
gent army was now separated into three grand divisions: 
the first, under Harvy; the second, under the famous 
priest Murphy; and the third, under a priest Kearns. 
These bodies were to repair to different points, and await 
reinforcements — discipline and train their men, and prepare 
to march against Gorey, Ross, Newtown-barry, and finally, 
against Dublin. 

In the meantime the National Council was so far under 
the control of Popery, as to order the arrest of all the 
Protestant gentlemen, of any standing or influence, who 
had not left Wexford. Some of these were liberated, on 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 107 

condition of joining their ranks, others favored with pro- 
tection from the authorities, and others imprisoned ; while 
such as were specially objectionable were piked or shot, 
without ceremony. Boats were also manned, and dispatched 
to search the ships in the harbor, and to bring all men, 
arms, and goods on board them, to be disposed of by the 
authorities. The vessel containing Mr. Gurley and family, 
instead of sailing directly out of the harbor, as might have 
been done, as the wind was fair, dropped anchor half a mile 
from the shore, and there remained. 

Night at length threw its misty curtain over the city ; but 
the lights of the illuminated dwellings gleamed over the 
tranquil waters of the harbor; and the shouts and random 
shots of the intoxicated rebels reached the ears of the refu- 
gees in the ships, who had already learned that they were 
prisoners of war. 

A dim light, which hung above the deck of a sloop, 
revealed a confused mixture of merchandise, bedding, 
trunks, and provisions, thrown together in promiscuous 
heaps. On a low box sat Mr. Gurley, listening to the 
sounds which came from the city. By his side sat his 
young wife of twenty. She rested her elbow on his knee, 
listening, as if apprehensive of some dread calamity. At 
length a sound of confused voices was heard approaching 
the ship; and soon mingled curses and imprecations on 
heretics were heard. Mrs. Gurley started suddenly, and, 
clasping her husband by the arm, exclaimed, in an under 
tone of anguish, "0, they are coming for you! Where 
will you hide?" "It is useless to hide anywhere, my 
love," replied he, tenderly. "We are in their power, and 
God alone can deliver us." In a few brief moments a band 
of armed men, with a leader in military uniform, were on 
deck. Perceiving Mr. Gurley, who still retained his scat, 
they came up to him and demanded his name. This was 



108 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



no sooner pronounced than the leader of the band, who, it 
seems, knew him, exclaimed, "Here, boys, we have him — 
the swaddler. Away with him !" Four men handed him 
to the boat, and several other men were put in with him. 
Mrs. G. would gladly have accompanied him, but they 
refused to admit her. She parted with him with an aching 
heart, and, with her female friends, passed the night in 
sleepless sorrow. 

When Mr. Gurley reached the dock he was met by Cap- 
tain Keugh, afterward rebel governor of the city. They 
were intimately acquainted with each other. Keugh 
offered Mr. Gurley a printed protection, signed by himself, 
and gave him also the pass-word for the night. These were 
given to such Protestants as had not rendered themselves 
obnoxious to the jealousy or wrath of the insurgents. 
Such a protection, though it would be a security in passing 
any officer, was yet of no value in defending him from 
the malicious or half-intoxicated Papists who, in great num- 
bers, still remained in town, bent on plunder and blood. 
Although the leaders in the sanguinary scenes of the day 
were Roman priests, yet it is but justice to say, that there 
were some who did not approve of their transactions. 
Among these was father Corrin, parish priest of Wexford. 
He was a man of great simplicity of character, naturally 
humane and benevolent. He doubtless disliked the British 
government, and felt a deep interest in the present struggle ; 
yet he assumed rather a neutral position in regard to the 
Rebellion, and, at different times, interposed his influence 
and authority, to prevent his merciless brethren from shed- 
ding innocent blood. Father Corrin kept a fine house in 
the city, the domestic affairs of which were superintended 
by a maiden sister. Father C. and Mr. Gurley had been 
for years on the most friendly terms. Dreading the lawless 
rebels, who were continually shooting or piking some one 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



109 



or other in the streets, Mr. Gurley, conceiving that at priest 
Corrin's he would be safe from them, resolved at least to 
venture on his hospitality, and spend the night under his 
roof, if possible. 

Sentinels were placed, in different places, to preserve 
order ; yet the streets were thronged with a prowling rab- 
ble. Barrels of spirits were rolled up from the cellars of 
shops — their heads knocked in ; and hundreds lay drunk in 
the lanes and streets. Protestant families were obliged to 
keep open doors ; and free ingress and egress were expected ; 
and the goods of such were taken, before their eyes, with 
unblushing effrontery. 

It was some time after dark when Mr. Gurley set out for 
father Corrin's. His visit is thus related by his own pen: 

"To go to father Corrin's I must pass through a long, 
narrow lane, which had a flight of eight steps. So I set 
off, it being very dark. As soon as I entered the lane, two 
armed rebels cried, 'Who comes there?' I gave the pass- 
word, 'F. G.' A little further — 'Who comes there?' 'F. 
G. ;' and so on, until I had passed eight guards, and one at 
the door of the house. As I entered the parlor I found it 
was covered entirely with beds. Soon a Protestant lady, 
of my acquaintance, came in, and told me the beds were 
prepared for the women. She inquired where I was to 
stay. I replied, 'I do not know.' She then proposed that 
she and her daughter would come there and stay, if I would 
occupy their room ; and, as the house was owned by Cath- 
olics, I would not be molested during the night. To this I 
agreed, and accompanied her to her house, which was next 
door. She placed some cold refreshment before me, and 
then, it being late, she and her daughter left me. You may 
easily guess what an appetite I had. I asked a blessing on 
the food ; but 0, what were my thoughts upon ! — time and 
eternity — now on my wife and child — then on my mother 

10 



110 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

and sister — my two brothers — and then on all our society 
of Methodists. 'Good God,' said I, 'shall we all be 
butchered by the Papists?' I took off my coat and shoes; 
and, having cast my all on Him who never slumbers nor 
sleeps, I laid me down to rest. But balmy sleep fled ; for 
horrid was the noise in the street — the firing of guns, etc. 
But I found the promises of God, at this time, indeed, my 
staff and my stay. I could, and did, sweetly cast my soul 
on Him who had safely brought me through so many dan- 
gers, toils, and deaths." 

The next morning he went, at an early hour, again to the 
house of the priest. Miss Corrin kindly offered him a bowl 
of tea, with bread and butter, for which he expressed his 
gratitude. Soon after he had an interview with father 
Corrin, of which he thus speaks : 

"Father Corrin came to me, and said it was not in his 
power to protect me in his house, as, by an edict of the 
rebel authorities, all Catholics were forbidden to harbor 
Protestants in their houses, under penalty of being them- 
selves punished with imprisonment or death. 'But,' said 
he, 'go down to the quay, and no one will molest you.' So 
down to the quay I went ; but, when I got there, I found it 
crowded with armed ruffians. I was not long there until I 
saw a man level his gun at me. I stepped aside, behind 
another man, which prevented him from firing at me that 
time. When a movement of that man exposed me to view, 
he leveled at me again ; but this time, also, I escaped in a 
like manner. The third time he aimed his gun at me, I 
stepped to the commanding officer. 1 Captain Keugh,' 
said I, 'will you suffer that fellow there to shoot me?' 
He looked at the fellow — ordered him to fall into the ranks; 
at the same time making a sham kick at me, lest he should 
appear too friendly to a heretic, and bade me go about ray 
business. Thus very providentially I escaped. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Ill 



CHAPTER IX. 

Mr. Gurley put in prison — His description of it — Jail crowded — 
Imprisonment of Rev. George Taylor, a Wesleyan minister — Mr. 
Gurley's brother and brother-in-law brought to the prison — He 
establishes prayer meetings in his cell — Extracts from his jour- 
nal — Mrs. Gurley returns from ship — Her sufferings — Comes to 
see him in prison — Fare of prisoners — Prisoners compelled to exe- 
cute Catholic traitors — Dreadful alarm of prisoners — Remarkable 
prayer meeting — His own account of his feelings — Hymns sung 
in prison. 

The time was now at hand when Mr. Gurley was to be 
arrested and thrown into prison. This, it is true, he might 
have escaped, by a compliance with the demands of the 
Papists. Such Protestants as professedly turned Papists 
were generally required to give proof of their conversion, 
by going into the rebel ranks, and aiding in the destruction 
of their brethren. Others were required to construct pikes, 
or make cartridges for the insurgent army. His principles 
were too well fixed, and his conscience too enlightened, to 
permit him to aid in or consent to the destruction of his 
unoffending neighbors, even to save his own life. 

"Soon after my narrow escape from being shot," says 
Mr. Gurley, "a party of rebels came and requested me to 
go to a certain place in the city, and make some ball-car- 
tridges for them ; but I promptly refused, as I would on no 
account be accessory to the murder of my friends. In 
about an hour four armed men came and seized me. Two 
of them grasped my arms with great violence. ' Gentle- 
men,' said I, 'what are you going to do with me?' 'Take 
you to jail,' said one of them, in a gruff, insolent tone. 
'Very well,' said I; 'I shall not attempt to escape; so, 
pray, do not grasp my arm with so much violence.' But, 
instead of relaxing their hold, they only uttered a curse, 
and dragged me on with increased force. As they were 



112 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



conducting me along to the prison, some of my old neigh- 
bors, who were Papists, saw me, and cried ont, as I passed 
them, ' Ah, Gurley, the heretic ! Pike him ; pike him.' " 

His conductors paused at the great gate, which opened 
into the prison yard. He turned round and gave a farewell 
glance over the city, where he had spent so many peaceful 
days. In his boyhood he had often seen the chained and 
fettered criminal pass there ; but little did he think the day 
would ever come, when, charged with no violation of the laws 
of his country, he should be led by armed men through its 
gloomy portals. As the iron gate swung back on its grating 
hinges, he lifted his eyes to the gloomy prison before him. 
It was a massive building, of solid masonry. The long, 
rows of grated windows gave it a gloomy aspect; but, 
lifting his heart to heaven, he breathed a prayer for resig- 
nation; and the sentiment expressed by the poet, in one of 
our beautiful hymns, came over his soul with a tranquilizing 
influence : 

" "Who suffer with our Master here, 
We shall before his face appear, 

And by his side sit down. 
To patient faith the prize is sure; 
And all that to the end endure 
The cross, shall wear the crown." 

A soldier in uniform stepped aside to admit them into a 
wide hall, or aisle, which extended along in front of the 
long rows of cells. The emotions of Mr. Gurley were 
indescribable as he entered a narrow cell, and the door was 
locked on him. How long he would be doomed to that 
abode, it was impossible to calculate ; or how soon he might be 
led forth to torture or death, none could tell. If the revolu- 
tionists were to be defeated, it was to be expected that, in the 
frenzy of their disappointment, they would avenge them- 
selves, by murdering the prisoners in their power; and if 
they should be victorious, it was generally understood that 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 113 

no Protestant should be left to "defile the soil of Ireland" 
Nor could Mr. Gurley tell what would be the fate of his 
wife and child. Should she return to the city, she would 
have a desolate mansion to enter, as all the Protestant 
houses, from which the inmates had fled, were robbed of 
every thing valuable. 

There was one consoling reflection. He was now free 
from the wanton abuse, and lawless wretches, in the street, 
and safe from the random shots of the intoxicated soldiers. 
The place of his confinement is thus described in one of 
his -letters : 

" The prison in which I was confined was a large, stone 
building, with two wings. A yard, with a stone wall, sur- 
rounded the whole. The building was twenty-four feet in 
height. Each cell had a glass window, with, I think, nine 
panes of eight by ten glass. Outside of each sash were iron 
bars, about two and a half inches apart, so that I could only 
slide my hand between them. I often took the sash down, 
to let in the fresh air. My cell was eleven and a half feet 
long, and ten feet wide ; and in this, at one time, there were 
eighteen of us confined. Between the cells and the front 
wall of the prison, which looked toward the court and main 
street, was a wide hall, reaching the whole length of the 
cells. In this hall was a large stone stair-case, leading to 
the hall and cells above. These rooms, in general, and the 
hall, had floors several feet thick, and covered with blue 
limestone flags, of one foot depth. Each cell was arched 
overhead with cut stone. The one I was in had a small 
fireplace. The south side of the prison and yard were 
washed by an ever-running stream of pure water. The 
yard included the jailer's house, a fine garden, pump, etc. ; 
and the wall which surrounded the whole was some twenty 
feet high. Guards were placed at the door of the hall; 
and most of the prisoners, during my confinement, were 
10* 



114 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



permitted, at times, to walk, and take exercise in the 
open air." 

Mr. G. is even more minute in the description of the 
place ; but the foregoing extract is sufficient to give a fair 
idea of his new home. 

Few words convey a more gloomy impression to the mind 
than the term prison. It is associated with crime and suf- 
fering, despair and death — the place which justice pro- 
vides for the safe-keeping and punishment of the violators 
of law, social order, and the rights of man. We reflect on 
the prison cell as the abode of the worst of our race — the 
hardy felon, the daring robber, the stealthy, midnight assas- 
sin, whose hands are red with blood. But it were a doubt- 
ful question, whether they have been tenanted most by the 
innocent or the guilty. It is not improbable that the former 
would bear off the palm, in point of numbers. From the 
days of Joseph in the prison of Pharaoh to the present 
time, these gloomy palaces have been honored with the 
most illustrious names — philosophers, heroes, statesmen, 
and divines. The apostle Paul and his companions were 
familiar with chains and stocks. The dungeon of Olmutz 
is rendered immortal by the illustrious Lafayette — the patriot 
of France and the companion of Washington. Huss, and 
Luther, and Baxter, and Bunyan were here schooled to 
heroic deeds and moral greatness; and the dripping walls 
of the Spanish inquisition have been sprinkled with the 
1)lood of as innocent and noble hearts as ever beat in 
human bosoms. Hosts of martyrs have here had their 
souls strengthened for suffering, and girded for death. In 
short, in all ages the prisons of the old world have been 
the chosen places of confinement and torment for the inno- 
cent, the virtuous, and the benefactors of mankind. 

Generally, however, the same roof has sheltered both 
the innocent and the criminal together, as Jesus and Barabbas 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



115 



were in custody at the same time ; but it was reserved for 
the prison of Wexford, under misrule, treason, and bigotry, 
to exhibit the rare instance of a large prison, with every cell 
crowded with only innocent and unoffending men — men 
who had not only violated no law, but against whom there 
had been no accusation, except that they were Protestants, 
many of whom were among the most intelligent and worthy 
citizens of the county. Mr. Gurley was the first put in the 
cell assigned him ; but he was soon joined by others, who 
were arrested during the day; for they were brought in 
both from the city and country, until every cell in the 
prison was full. So crowded, indeed, did it become, that 
the "committee of public safety," fearing the consequence 
on the health of the place, ordered over fifty of them to be 
removed to the market-house hall, where they were placed 
under guard. This was the same room in which Mr. Gurley 
heard Mr. Wesley preach, on his last visit to Ireland. 

Among those confined in this apartment was a Wesleyan 
Methodist preacher, Rev. George Taylor, author of a " His- 
tory of the Irish Rebellion in the County of Wexford," to 
which there are frequent references in this work. Of his 
sufferings and merciful escape, there will be given some 
account, in the progress of this narrative. Mr. Gurley had 
a brother, (Jonas,) and a brother-in-law, (John Smith,) who 
resided in the city. They were hatters, by trade, and 
carried on a successful business. They were sober, worthy 
men, and belonged to the Established Church. They were 
both arrested, and placed in an opposite wing of the prison ; 
but they had frequent interviews with Mr. Gurley during 
their confinement. 

It was some satisfaction to Mr. G. that nearly all in 
his cell were his old acquaintance, and some his most inti- 
mate friends. One of them was an aged man — Mr. Atkins — 
eighty-two years old. He was one of the first converts to 



116 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

Methodism in Ireland. A young clergyman of the Church 
of England, was also one of the inmates a part of the 
time. The cell-door was opened during the day, so' that 
the prisoners could go out into the hall, and, by permission 
of the guard, into the open air. But at night each cell 
was carefully locked or bolted. 

It is characteristic of pure religion, that it enables its 
possessor to rejoice where others weep, and to triumph 
where others despair. Paul and Silas set the precedent of 
converting a gloomy prison into a place of prayer and 
praise, and thousands since have followed their example. 

Several in the cell with Mr. G. were religious, but others 
were not; and many in the prison had not the faith and 
love requisite for the trials which awaited them. He there- 
fore proposed to have daily prayer at stated seasons for all 
who were disposed to meet at his cell for the purpose; 
hoping not only to strengthen the faith and animate the 
courage of believers, but, also, to be instrumental in bring- 
ing others to the cross. In his manuscript he thus alludes 
to their first night in jail: 

"During the afternoon I was favored with five fellow- 
prisoners, all of them as great heretics as myself. 

"Kearney, the rebel ordinary, ordered us some straw to 
lie on ; so when night came we spread it on the floor, as is 
done in stables for horses. Some of my companions were 
Methodists, whom I knew well. ' Here, then,' thought I, 'is 
the time and place for prayer.' When about to lie down 
on the straw, - 1 observed to them that most likely we had 
but a short time to live, and that we ought to prepare for 
death, by improving the time in imploring the Lord of 
heaven to give us his divine aid, to enable us to meet the 
fate which probably awaited us, with faith, resignation, and 
fortitude. They all thought as I did; so to prayer we 
went ; and, though in a prison, we did entreat God to make 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



117 



it as the gate of heaven." These seasons of worship were 
continued in the cell till the last day of their imprisonment. 

The reader, perhaps, may by this time be interested to 
know what became of Mrs. Gurley, whom we left, unpro- 
tected and at night, with her babe and two sisters, on board 
the sloop. The anxiety of her husband on her account 
may be easily conceived. A week passed without hearing 
a word from her, when one day he was called to the hall 
door, where to his great surprise and joy he met with the 
servant girl, who had been admitted into the prison yard. 
Mrs. G. had learned where he was, and came to see him. 
She brought with her some clean linen, and some toast and 
tea. Their emotions on meeting we must leave for the 
reader to imagine. 

Mrs. Gurley remained on board the ship two days ; the 
captain was kind and gentlemanly toward her, and, at her 
request, put her and her company on shore. She had the 
precaution to secure a portion of the jewelry before it was 
taken by the piratical crews, ordered by the rebel authori- 
ties to search the ships for goods ; but the greater part of 
the silver plate and watches fell into their hands, and were 
never heard of more. 

When Mrs. G. reached the wharf with her sisters and 
servant girl, she repaired to her forsaken abode. Of the 
front windows every pane of glass was broken ; most of the 
light furniture and articles were taken away. Some beds 
remained in an upper room. Closing the doors and win- 
dows as best they could, they lodged together in the cham- 
ber, but not without constant alarm from the noisy rabble 
without. Mrs. G. related that, on passing from the dock 
to her house, she saw a man shot down on the opposite side 
of the street. No article of food remained in the house, 
and where to obtain any to subsist on was a question. The 
insurgent army, like a cloud of locusts, had devoured every 



118 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



thing; and the numbers in from the surrounding country- 
had made it impossible to find a particle of provision for 
sale. 

Finding it impossible to obtain food from the shops, Mrs. 
G. and one of her sisters called on a wealthy lady, a Mrs. 
Tyghe, who resided in the suburbs of the town. She was 
a member of the class of which Mr. G. was the leader, 
and a most devoted and excellent lady. To her they rep- 
resented their destitute condition. She wept with them, 
and, with true sisterly affection, said that she would share 
with them what little she had. She told them that her 
premises had been searched over and over for food, and 
that all she had was what she had been able to secrete from 
the rebels. She then took them into her kitchen garden, 
and, removing a slight covering of earth and weeds, took 
from a basket which had been buried a fine smoked ham, 
which she gave them ; and, also, a loaf of bread which she 
had in the house she shared with them. 

Thus were their immediate wants supplied ; and, in a few 
days, provision was tolerably plenty and cheap, having been 
brought in from the surrounding country by the friends of 
the insurgents, who were, perhaps, fearful that they might 
be obliged to give it to the rebel army, whose military chest 
was empty. 

Mrs. Gurley was allowed to bring or send clothes and 
food to the prison, but she was permitted to see her hus- 
band but once more during his confinement. 

The fare of the prisoners, as furnished by the authorities, 
is thus described by Mr. Gurley: "The rebels gave us 
nothing to live on but potatoes and water; but these were 
good. Some of us, who had cash, would get friends to 
buy for us bread, meat, and butter, and we united and 
bought half a barrel of table beer ; and my wife, when she 
could get it, would send or bring me tea, bread, and butter." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



119 



Another place where Protestants were confined in Wex- 
ford was the barracks. The rebel senate were strict in 
arresting Catholics whom they deemed traitors to their 
cause. On Sunday, the 3d of June, one of their number, 
who had been a witness against one Dixon, a priest, was 
taken out and shot. To render his death more ignominious 
in the eyes of his brethren, they compelled Protestant 
prisoners to be his executioners. Taylor gives the following 
account of the tragic scene: "After mass by a priest, and 
receiving instructions, Thomas Dixon, a near relative of the 
priest, was appointed to conduct the awful business. He 
was one of the most barbarous men to the defenseless that 
ever existed, but a greater coward in battle could not be. 
He had the prisoner brought to the bull- ring, and a Mr. 
Robison, one of the executioners, being ordered to fire, the 
unfortunate man fell dead ; when Dixon ran up and thrust 
his sword through his neck ; then drawing it forth, he held 
it up to the view of the mob, desiring them to ' behold the 
blood of a traitor!' His body was dragged to the river 
and thrown in. Two of his executioners were massacred 
on the bridge on the 20th of June; the other escaped." 

For several days Mr. G. and his comrades were undis- 
turbed in prison, except that occasionally large mobs of 
rebel sailors and others, half intoxicated, would assemble 
outside the jail-yard gate, shouting, cursing, and striving 
to force their way in, to put the heretics, as they called 
them, all to death. 

"As I was sitting," says Mr. Gurley, "on some straw on 
the floor, on the 6th or *7th of June, reading in a little Tes- 
tament, Messrs. Danniels, Piggot, and Julian, all gentlemen 
in the service of the government, and fellow- prisoners, came 
to the door of our cell, and some twenty others with them. 
As they came near, several cried, '0, Mr. Gurley, pray 
for us!' 'Pray for yourselves,' said I. 'O, we can't,' 



120 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



replied they. 'What,' said I, 'is the matter now?' 'Don't 
you hear,' said they, 'the shouting? Five or six hundred 
sailors are trying to get in to murder us all!' I then called 
on one of the prisoners, who was religious, to pray, but he 
was so terrified he could not. So I bade them kneel down. 
But 0, the situation we were in! Such weeping I never 
saw before. The cell was full, and the entrance full ; and, 
as they leaned on one another weeping, I prayed till I 
was quite fatigued, and was about to stop, when they cried, 
'0, don't stop!' So I leaned my back against the wall 
and continued for some time longer, until I was quite ex- 
hausted." 

Mr. G. often spoke of this as one of the most affecting 
scenes he ever witnessed under prayer. Men who had 
never prayed before, were melted into tenderness, and 
sobbed like children. The fear of death for the time 
seemed to be forgotten, or dissipated by the expulsive 
power of deeper and stronger emotions. 

Mr. G. continues : "When I stopped praying, I rose up and 
said, 'Friends, the effects you now feel and witness do not 
ascribe to any virtue or holiness in me or my poor prayers, 
but to the Spirit of God, who is operating on your hearts. 
Many of you, I presume, never prayed before; and now 
that death, and judgment, and an awful eternity are before 
you, and a strict account to be rendered, 0 continue to call 
on God, through Christ, while you exist. It may be our 
guards will give us up to the mob to be butchered this very 
night. Call, then, on the Lord while he may be found ; he is 
now at work in your hearts. Cease not, then, to pray for 
mercy while you breathe, for I do believe some of us will 
never leave this place but for eternity.' This was, in fact, the 
case with some of these very men. Poor Danniels was one. 
I observed that he prayed very fervently. He was mur- 
dered on the bridge the 20th of June. I found his body 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



121 



afterward, on a place called the Cat's Strand, without a 
particle of raiment, except a black velvet stock about his 
neck. I had him put in a coffin which I took for my 
brother Jonas, who was murdered the same day." 

Mr. Gurley has left but little on record in regard to his 
own personal feelings and religious enjoyment during the 
three weeks he was in the hands of his enemies. He seems 
to have been more anxious for others than himself; and re- 
signed to the will of God, he improved every opportunity 
to lead others, who were in like peril with himself, to that 
grace which was now his chief support. 

But the following brief paragraph shows that he was not 
without the "consolations of God:" "Here, in prison, we 
had time to read and pray ; and, for my own part, my soul 
was full of joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. O, at 
such a time to have peace with God — peace with one's own 
soul ! Such was the state of mind with me at this time ; I 
could still call God my Father." 

He found consolation himself, and cheered the gloom of 
others, by singing frequently such hymns of Mr. Wesley's 
as were familiar to his memory. His voice, even at a 
later period, was surpassingly sweet, musical, and of great 
compass. 

Among others, the following lines, from the composition of 
Mr. Charles Wesley, were sung, to cheer their solitary hours : 

" Come, 0 thou traveler unknown, 

"Whom still I hold, but cannot see; 
My company before is gone, 

And I am left alone with thee: 
With thee all night 1 mean to stay, 
And wrestle till the break of day. 

What though my shrinking flesh complain, 

And murmur to contend so long: 
I rise superior to my pain: 

When I am weak, then I am strong: 
And, when my all of strength shall fail, 
I shall with the God-man prevail." 

11 



122 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



The following, from another hymn, were also favorite 

lines with him, having been frequently sung by him at 

that time: 

" Happy the man whose hopes rely 
On Israel's God; he made the sky, 

And earth, and seas, with all their train; 
His truth for ever stands secure; 
He saves th' oppressed, and feeds the poor, 
And none shall find his promise vain. 

The Lord pours eyesight on the blind; 
The Lord supports the fainting mind; 

He sends the lab'ring conscience peace; 
He helps the stranger in distress, 
The widow and the fatherless, 

And grants the prisoner sweet release" 

These, with some other portions of the hymns of our 
Church, were, in after life, sung by him with peculiar effect 
and feeling. He seemed attached to them from the very 
fact that they had been his companions in the hours of his 
greatest tribulation ; as one becomes the enduring friend of 
those who have ministered comfort to him in the time of 
necessity or distress. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



123 



CHAPTER X. 

Progress of the insurgents — Division of the army — Battle of 
Newtawn-barry — Insurgents defeated — Battle of Gorey — King's 
troops cut off, and Gorey taken — Harvy's camp — Sculaooge 
House — Troops march to attack Ross — Proceedings in "Wexford — 
Cruel treatment of Protestants — Rev. Mr. Owen — his sufferings — 
Jonas Gurley required to shoot a prisoner — Baptizing heretics — 
Mr. Gurley's mother — Martyrdom of Protestants on Vinegar Hill — 
Narrative of a prisoner — Murders in cold blood sanctioned by 
priests. 

Having thus accompanied the subject of this biography 
to his prison, and marked in what manner his time was 
there spent, we may now leave him for a season, and trace 
the progress of the insurgents; and see in what manner, as 
if led by some fatality, they conducted their boasted strug- 
gles for freedom. 

While the rebel senate was rapidly filling the prisons, 
the hitherto victorious army was by no means idle. The 
separation of the body into three divisions, after they left 
Wexford, has been mentioned. One of these divisions, 
under father Kearns, a Catholic priest, encamped on Vine- 
gar Hill, and on the next day after their retirement from the 
city, numbered fifteen thousand men ; most of whom were 
well armed, and impatient for conquest and plunder. Early 
that morning the drums beat to arms; and, led by their 
sacred commander and under officers, they marched several 
miles, to a place called Newtown-barry. This was 4 beauti- 
ful village, on the line between the counties of Wexford and 
Carlow. Embosomed in the hills which rise in emerald love- 
liness around it, and washed by the river Slaney, which 
curves partly round it, few places in Ireland could present 
a more delightful abode, or more charming scenery. 

This place was garrisoned by about four hundred men, 



124 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



commanded by Colonel L'Estrange. At twelve o'clock 
intelligence reached the village of the approach of the in- 
surgents. The Colonel and his troops took a strong position 
in the town, and awaited the onset. The assailants first 
took possession of a hill that commanded the town, and 
opened a brisk fire on the troops, with a six-pounder and 
some ship swivels. Perceiving, however, that these did 
little effect, they poured down the hill like a torrent, con- 
fident of success from their numbers. The troops did not 
wait their arrival, but instantly withdrew to a position one 
mile from the place, on the high road. The assailants, 
delighted with their easy victory, entered the town with 
deafening shouts, set the suburbs on fire, and plundered 
the baggage of the retreating army. They then burst open 
the cellars, and drank spirits in such abundance that they 
became generally intoxicated, and ranged through the town 
with great disorder and noise. 

While in this condition, Colonel L'Estrange suddenly 
returned to the town, and, with his cannon, opened a most 
destructive fire on their disordered ranks. 

The storm of grape shot which swept through the street 
threw the insurgents into such confusion, that, before they 
could form, the streets were full of the dead and wounded. 
A fierce charge now decided the day ; the insurgents fled 
in all directions, leaving two hundred and fifty slain, while 
the troops suffered the loss of only one killed, and one 
wounded. 

The flying party repaired to the camp at Vinegar Hill, 
greatly enraged at their defeat. To avenge themselves, in 
some degree, they burned all the Protestant houses they 
found on their way. 

On the same day the division under priest Murphy 
marched to Ballycannow, intending, with others, to attack 
Gorey, which was garrisoned by a part of the forces which 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 125 

had left Wexford, and others; but, before the insurgents 
were ready to make the attempt, a detachment of troops 
attacked them, and after an hour's severe conflict, in which 
a number of them fell, they were completely routed, and 
retreated, leaving their dead and wounded on the field. 
Murphy, who had just been defeated, had not with him 
the whole division of insurgents assigned him, but had 
divided the body with Anthony Perry, an associate com- 
mander, who was to join him with his division the next 
day, and, with their united forces, storm the garrison at 
Gorey, and take the town. 

As soon as Perry heard of Murphy's defeat, he was 
greatly chagrined, and instantly resolved to retrieve the 
fortunes of the day, by a determined assault on the place, 
as soon as he could bring sufficient aid for the purpose. 
He succeeded in getting father Kearns, with his division, 
from Vinegar Hill, and some troops under Captain Doyle, 
from Wexford. Their forces were united on Sunday, the 
3d of June ; messengers were sent through the surrounding 
country, to summon all to camp. 

On the same day, General Loftus, with one thousand king's 
troops, arrived for the relief of Gorey. This force, together 
with the garrison, it was hoped, would be sufficient to repel 
any number of undisciplined men the rebel commanders might 
bring to the assault. On Monday, the 4th, the insurgents 
amounted to twenty thousand men. These were drawn up 
in order, early in the morning, at their camp, a few miles 
from the place of assault. The priests celebrated mass 
amongst them, and after distributing ball cartridge in abund- 
ance, at ten o'clock they proceeded to Gorey. Intelligence 
of the design of the insurgents to attack the town on that 
day was communicated in the morning, at an early hour ; 
the drums beat to arms, the trumpets sounded, and every 

preparation was made to receive the enemy. 

11* 



126 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLTAM GURLEY. 

A large hill rose between the town and the expected 
assailants. It was determined to go out of town to engage 
them; and, for this purpose, the loyal troops divided. 
General Loftus, with his division of one thousand foot and 
some artillery, kept to the left of the hill; while Colonel 
Walpole, with several hundred men and three battalion 
guns, took the road which wound round the ascent to the 
right. It was not known, it appears, by which of the two 
routes the insurgents would approach. 

Colonel Walpole, by an oversight wholly unaccountable 
and inexcusable, proceeded without the caution of an ad- 
vanced guard, so essential to prevent surprise. This fatal 
neglect of the officer, as will be seen, cost him his life, and 
decided the fortunes of the day. The rebel scouts in ad- 
vance of the main body, saw Walpole and his division 
approaching, and hastened back with the information to the 
commanders. Priest John Murphy, of Bolavogue, who was 
at the head of the assailants, called a halt, and ordered the 
gunsmen inside of the ditches ; he then drew up his cannon 
in the centre of the road, masking them by a platoon of 
men in front, and thus awaited the arrival of the loyal 
troops. 

The rebel army extended for miles along the road in the 
rear of their artillery, and presented a formidable appear- 
ance, as the windings of the road revealed their immense 
numbers. 

Walpole, at the head of his men, advanced firmly to the 
attack, and when within almost a pistol-shot of the head 
of the column, and about to fire and charge, to their amaze- 
ment, a thousand men, from behind the hedges and in the 
ditches, opened a most deadly fire of musketry on their ex- 
tended columns; while, at the same moment, the masked 
battery in the centre of the road now opened its thunder, 
and poured a tempest of iron hail into their exposed 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



127 



platoons. Edward Fitzgerald, who, with some men, had 
joined in the action, was a mile in the rear when the firing 
began ; but turning his horse to the ditch, he leaped into 
the field, and rode to the front of the battle, waving his 
sword as he passed along, crying, " Now, my boys, surround 
them ! surround them !" 

The loyal troops gallantly returned the fire of the enemy, 
and, over the dead bodies of their comrades, with a cool 
daring and bravery rarely excelled, held at bay the vast 
force of the assailants. 

Colonel Walpole fell beneath the first deadly fire from 
the ditches, a ball passing through his thigh, and another 
through his head. The troops, seeing the enemy fast sur- 
rounding them, fought retreating into Gorey, leaving behind 
them their cannon ; from Gorey they retreated immediately 
to Arklow, followed by many of the Protestants of the 
place. 

General Loftus heard the firing, and having no doubt but 
Colonel Walpole would defeat them, proceeded on his route 
nine miles round, intending to intercept their retreat. When 
he reached the battle-field and saw the mangled body of 
Walpole and his fallen soldiers, he could scarce credit his 
senses. Not deeming it prudent to attack the victorious 
insurgents, who were now fully in possession of the town, 
he marched his troops toward Carlow. Flushed with con- 
quest, the rebels now plundered the town, and indulged in 
all manner of excesses ; and a large proportion became 
intoxicated. Had General Loftus now returned with one- 
half his men, the rebels would doubtless have been easily 
routed ; this, however, he did not do, and the insurgents 
kept possession. Thus the carelessness of an officer blasted 
the bright hopes of that morning, and the flames of a ter- 
rible rebellion blazed higher than ever. 

The reader by this time may wish to know something of 



128 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

the divison commanded by B. B. Harvy, Commander-in- 
chief, and President of the Council. His detachment was 
designated to take the garrisoned town of Ross ; but, as 
thousands were flocking daily to his camp, he delayed the 
attack until the fifth. Harvy, however, marched his division 
to a place a few miles from Ross, and formed his camp, 
where they remained until the fourth. 

During this time many Protestants were brought to 
camp, together with some disaffected Catholics, who were 
either shot immediately or put in confinement. 

The house and barn of a Mr. King, of Sculaboge, 
which was in the vicinity of the camp, were now selected 
by Harvy and his men as a place of confinement for such 
persons, and it was soon filled with prisoners — men, women, 
and children — whose melancholy fate will be hereafter 
detailed. 

The camp of Harvy was but a few miles from Wexford ; 
so that he could be present frequently at the meetings of 
the Grand Council and still superintend the movements of 
his men. No influence, however, that he could exert, could 
prevent his Papist rebels from burning all the Protestants' 
houses in the country around. 

On the fourth of June, Harvy, at the head of thirty- 
seven thousand men, reached Corbet Hill, and encamped 
for the night at a beautiful country seat, the residence of 
Edward Murphy, Esq., within half a mile of Ross, intending 
to attack the place next morning. 

Here we will leave them for the present, and return to 
Mr. Gurley and the city of Wexford. 

The rebel senate continued in session in Wexford, and 
continued to look with deep solicitude for the promised aid 
from France. The French Directory did not succeed in 
dispatching troops to their assistance, as was promised in 
x\pril or Ma)'. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



129 



If, instead of waging an expensive and perilous war in 
Egypt, leading thousands of French soldiers to perish in 
the desert, Bonaparte had been sent to Ireland, he would 
have pierced England, his mortal foe and hated rival, in a 
• vital part, and perhaps in the end have escaped the miserable 
fate which he afterward incurred from her power. 

As war was then existing with England, it is wondeiful 
that France was so blind to her own interests as not to 
embrace the occasion to humble, on the soil of Ireland, her 
hated rival. The Directory awoke at last to the im- 
portance of the measure, but struck a blow when it was too 
late to be available. The troops she promised landed after 
the Rebellion was over. The absence of the main body of 
the insurgents restored only comparative tranquility to 
Wexford. Many of the Protestant families, through fear, 
appeared to favor the seeming revolution. The shops and 
stores were reopened, and Liberty, in large capitals, was 
written on most of the doors and windows. Many of the 
houses were decorated with green branches, while from the 
public buildings the banners of independence waved in the 
breeze. In the meantime, the cell in which Mr. Gurley was 
placed continued to receive fresh inmates, some of whom 
were brought several miles from the country. Some of 
them had narrowly escaped death; others had been tor- 
mented in various ways. 

The following, as an instance, is given: "One day the 
Rev. Mr. Owen, a clergyman of the Episcopal Church, was 
brought into our cell. He looked wildly; his hair was 
shorn off, and his head daubed over with a coat of tar or 
pitch. When he came near me he said, * 0 ! Mr. Gurley, 
I want you to make me a pair of gold boot buckles, as I 
am to go a hunting in a day or two, perhaps to-morrow.' 
I replied, ' Very well, sir, furnish me the gold, and if I have 
time you shall have them.' Poor man ! he was deranged ; 



130 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



and no wonder. He was torn from the bosom of his family ; 
taken to the rebel camp at Gorey ; his head shaved, and 
covered with melted pitch ; he was then taken to an upper 
window in the market-house, and hung from it by his feet, 
his head being nearly half way to the ground ; directly 
under him were a number of pikes placed, with then- 
handles sunk in the earth, their barbed points ready to 
pierce him in his fall. A man was standing with a knife, 
ready to cut the rope. In this horrid situation he was kept 
some time, but the order to execute him was not given, and 
he was brought to our prison stark mad." 

Rev. Andrew Taylor, preacher on Wexford circuit, was 
also imprisoned, but he was finally liberated. For awhile he 
was much dejected, but subsequently revived, and joined in 
the prayers of the company. His escape is thus referred to 
in the Life of Gideon Ouseley, Irish missionar}^, (page 176:) 

"During the reign of anarchy, (1*798,) he was made a 
prisoner by the rebel forces, in the garrison of Wexford. 
While hundreds of Protestants were sacrificed at the shrine 
of intolerance, and victim after victim, from the points of 
the enemy's pikes, swelled the tide of the blood-stained 
Slaney, Andrew Taylor was brought before the Inquisitorial 
court. The usual interrogatories were put : 'What are you?' 
'I knew,' said Mr. Taylor, 'if I had said, "I am a Protes- 
tant," that would have been bad enough; to have said, "I 
am a Methodist," would have been worse ; but to have said, 
"I am a Methodist preacher," would have been worst of 
all.' Raising himself up in calm defiance of the ruffian 
host, he boldly exclaimed, 'I am a Methodist preacher,' 
not knowing but the next hour would have been his last. 
Strange to say, they seemed, by his intrepid avowal, im- 
pressed with awe ; one of them interposed, and he escaped 
unhurt." 

An event now occurred which gave great pain to Mr. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 131 

Gmiey: A Roman Catholic, who had in some way dis- 
pleased the authorities, was condemned to die; and, as 
usual, Protestant prisoners were required to shoot him. 
His brother Jonas, and two others, were commanded to be 
his executioners. Had the principles of Jonas been fixed, 
enlightened, and elevated, as those of his brother, he would 
have declined the task, at all hazards. As it was, he per- 
formed it with great reluctance, and doubtless considered 
the guilt not his, but theirs, who, having him in their power, 
demanded it at his hands. In the manuscript is the fol- 
lowing : 

f( When my brother was passing out with the Papist who 
was condemned, I asked him where he was going; he 
replied, * I don't know.' I supposed they were taking my 
brother out to be flogged or murdered. I burst into tears. 

0 how my soul was torn with a hundred conflicting feelings ! 

1 wept and prayed for him and myself, that the Lord would 
give us strengthening grace for suffering times. When 
Jonas returned, I went to him, and inquired where he had 
been, and for what he was called out. He then told me 
what he had been required to do. He was greatly affected, 
and wept much. He remarked to me, 'William, if the 
Papists get the day, the Bible is all a lie.' I replied, ' No, 
no, Jonas; the Bible is true, whatever may happen. "Let 
God be true, though every man should be a liar." ' Jonas 
generally attended our noon meetings, and at other times 
when he could." 

The following incident, recorded by Mr. Gurley, affords 
a fine illustration of the triumph of Christian principle and 
feeling over human nature, and shows what grace can do 
for the fallen spirit of man. It was a literal fulfillment of 
the Savior's command, "Bless them that curse you; do 
good to them that hate you." 

"As the rebels gave us no food but potatoes, my wife, 



132 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



when she could get it, would send or bring me bread, 
butter, and tea, even when she had scarcely enough for 
herself and child. I remember one day she sent me a 
bowl of tea, with bread and butter. I had taken my dinner ; 
so I reserved it for another time. Soon after, while walking 
in the prison-yard, I saw at the foot of the stairs a rebel 
sailor, whom I knew, keeping guard. When I came near 
him, I said, 'John, how are you getting along?' 'Bad 
enough,' said he. 'What's the matter?' 'I have been 
standing here since nine o'clock yesterday morning, and 
have had neither bit nor sup.' He had an awful-looking 
pike in his hand. I pitied the poor fellow, and went up to 
my cell, took the food my wife had sent me, and brought it 
to him. Tears of gratitude came in his eyes as he took it. 
I held his pike while he was eating. 'John,' said I, as I 
passed my hand over the rough barbs of the weapon, 'you 
will, I suppose, in a day or two, be pulling out my bowels 
with this?' 'I hope not, sir,' said he; 'I wonder what 
keeps your English friends from coming to your assistance !' 

"As I took the bowl to the cell again, some of the men 
asked me what I had done with my victuals. 'I gave it,' 
said I, 'to that poor fellow standing guard at the foot of 
the stairs.' One replied, 'I would rather give him a rope 
to hang himself with.' Another said, 'I would sooner give 
him poison.' I replied, '"If thine enemy hunger, feed 
him ; if he thirst, give him drink." ' 

"I never saw T a more grateful creature than he showed 
himself to be toward me afterward. Being a sailor, he was 
at Liverpool several times when I resided there, and he 
would always call to inquire if I had any commands for 
Ireland." 

Mr. Gurley's mother found refuge with some Catholic 
acquaintance during the worst part of the Rebellion. He 
relates that, while he was in prison, "some Papists went to 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



133 



her and asked if she would have a priest to baptize her? 
She replied that, though her parents were Quakers, she was 
already baptized. 'For,' said she, 'when I was an infant, 
I was put out to a Catholic nurse, who got the priest to 
baptize me, because, as she said, she did not want to nurse 
a "little devil." ' She told them they would not hold the 
town a month; nor did they but only twenty-three days." 

The priests, during the rebel sway, were very busy in 
baptizing heretics, especially women and children, although 
the number of men who submitted to it was not small. To 
this they were constrained by a hope of safety ; but it was, 
however, only a temporary protection ; "for," says Taylor in 
his history, "it was well understood that even these persons 
would have been put to death if the rebels had prevailed. 
Such as were baptized received the following protection : 

"'I hereby certify that A. B., of C, in the parish of D., 
has done his duty and proved himself a Catholic. 

John Broe.' " 

Each division of the insurgents had some place which they 
appropriated for the imprisonment of Protestants where 
they were subjected to tortures, and from whence they 
were led forth to suffer for the gratification of their blood- 
thirsty enemies. About the same time that Mr. Gurley was 
imprisoned in Wexford jail, the insurgent camp, under 
priest Kearns, on Yinegar Hill, selected an old windmill on 
its summit for this purpose. Here, for twenty-three days, 
they perpetrated in cold blood deeds of cruelty which 
make the heart shudder even to think of ; but to detail 
them all would require many volumes. Martyrs worthy of 
the days of Luther here suffered with patience, and died in 
the faith, "not accepting deliverance." 

A man, entitled to the fullest credit, who escaped from 
their hands, relates that, being in the old windmill, he saw 
a man sitting on the ground, with only a piece of ragged 

12 



134 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



blanket to cover him. His eyes were put out of their 
sockets, his tongue cut out of his head, his body swelled to 
an enormous degree, and covered with ulcers. Not thinking 
he was alive, till the poor sufferer gave a heart-piercing 
groan, when the man started and exclaimed, "Good God, 
what miserable object is that?" He was answered by one 
of the guard, that the man was under slow punishment! 
This was verified on oath. 

" It has been remarked that none of their number were 
so blood-thirsty as those who were the most religious, and 
constant attendants on the Popish ordinances. The drunken 
and careless sort had the greatest share of good-nature. 
It is a certain truth that they never had so many masses, 
nor ever prayed so much, as during their month of usur- 
pation, especially on their battle-days; then all the old 
men, women, and children betook themselves to the - Ave 
Marias,' etc. And when parties of two or three hundred 
would go round the country burning the Protestant houses, 
they generally fell on their knees as soon as they had set 
them on fire." (George Taylor's History, page 3 47.) 

Another Protestant, who was prisoner on the same hill, 
whose narration is entitled to full credit, gives the following 
account of his captivity, etc. : 

" When I came to the prison door I was seized by the 
breast and thrown in among the rest of the prisoners, where 
I remained in the deepest sorrow and affliction, believing 
death inevitable, as I was among the condemned. Seeing 
a man, who had been piked the evening before, with signs 
of life [it seems from this that he was left for dead] in the 
prison, I asked him what had happened to him. He told 
me he had been piked the evening before, and had crept in 
from among the dead, which lav before the door, to avoid 
the heat of the sun. His coat was off, his shirt covered 
with a cake of blood, and his cheeks full of holes, which 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 135 

they had made with their abominable pikes. Looking out 
of the door I saw the rebels leading up a prisoner, whom 
they soon after shot. Looking out of the other door I saw, 
as nearly as I could judge, between thirty and forty lying 
dead, about three yards from the building. Some of them 
I knew, being in confinement with me; and one of them 
was my brother-in-law. Shortly after a man coming in, 
under pretense of searching for arms, robbed us of what 
money we had, and went away. 

"Then came that sanguinary monster, Luke Byrne, and 
inquired how many prisoners had been condemned. He 
was told twenty-seven. He answered, 'If any one can 
vouch for any of the prisoners not being Orange men, I 
have no objection that they should be discharged.' ISTo one 
returning an answer, he said, 'Is there no one to speak?' 
No answer. He then ordered six guns to be brought to 
each door, intending to destroy us at once, and not spend 
the night in watching over us. The guards, knowing they 
would be in danger of shooting each other, obtained per- 
mission to bring us out and shoot us one by one. We were 
then ordered to kneel down, and each of us to be brought 
out in our turn. 

" Three rebels stood at the door with pistols in their hands ; 
and still, as the prisoners were brought out and placed on 
their knees, they were shot and thrown among the dead. 
Three of them, expecting they should escape death by 
renouncing the Protestant religion, called for a priest. John 
Murphy immediately arrived, and laying his hands on their 
heads, repeated some prayers in Latin. Scarce were his 
hands off their heads, when one of the executioners, who 
had a grudge to one of the prisoners, fired at him ; the ball 
entered the unfortunate man's ear and killed him. He was 
carried off and let fall among the dead. I, being the next, 
was brought to the door ; a rebel calling me by my name, 



136 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

caught the attention of one of the captains, whose name- 
sake I happened to be. This was fortunate for me, as by 
this circumstance my life was providentially spared. 

"A man, named Thornton, from Wexford, was shot at 
this instant. But the next man that was brought out broke 
through the crowd and ran about seventeen perches, when 
he was met by a rebel, who, with a sythe, severed his 
head from his body, so that it hung down on his breast ; in 
an instant several pikes were fastened in him, and I saw 
him no more. The priest walked away as unconcerned as 
if no murder had taken place. Out of the twenty-seven 
prisoners only three escaped; namely, Kendrick, William 
Bennet, and myself." 

Many were the persons who were martyred on this 
bloody hill. Some, before they were piked, were tor- 
mented with whips, the lashes of which were made of brass 
wire twisted into cord. Mr. George Stacy, an intimate 
friend of Mr. Gurley's, received no less than two hundred 
and fifty lashes with one of them. Some were piked, but 
so as to leave them in slow torment ; and, most horrid to 
relate, sometimes the prisoner was bound and laid on his 
back on the ground, when a stone, pointed at one end but 
large at the other, was put in his mouth ; on this a monster 
in human form would stand and stamp with his heel, dislo- 
cating the jaws and suffocating the victim. This was done 
to a Mr. Henry Hatton. 

Mr. Edward Hawkins was another victim of their crueltv. 
He resided in a comfortable house, a short distance from 
the camp. He was far advanced in years, and was in the 
house when the rebels entered it. He made no resistance. 
They first demanded something to eat ; they were furnished 
with the best the house afforded. After having eaten and 
drank at his house, he would have been respected even by 
the laws of Turks, Arabs, or savages ; but, alas ! what will 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 13 7 

not bigotry and depravity do ? He was led into the hall, 
and there his throat was cut, and a pike thrust through his 
body. His wife was sixty years old, and was totally blind ; 
she uttered the most melancholy screams while they were 
leading away and killing her husband. They then set fire 
to the house, leaving the blind old lady to find her way out 
and to seek a place of safety as best she could. He had 
five sons; one of them had fallen in battle, the other four 
they now killed, and the mother was left a widow, child- 
less and sightless. 

They also set fire to another house, owned by a Mr. 
Croshea. He hoping to escape by it, run some distance, but 
was shot in the attempt. His three sons lay concealed in a 
bog for three days. They were young men. At length 
they were found, and taken by the rebels to the side of a 
gravel-pit, and threatened with instant death unless they 
would disclose where some fire-arms were deposited, and 
promised life if they would comply. The love of life pre- 
vailed, and they gave the desired intelligence; when, with 
hearts false as fiends, the rebels compelled them to stand 
arm in arm until, by word of command, they were fired at, 
and all fell, with screams and groans, on the grass. They 
were now dragged to a gravel-pit and thrown in, wounded 
as they were, but still alive, and covered with earth, and 
thus suffocated in their own graves. The distracted mother 
came, in the anguish of her heart, to seek her sons. The 
murderers pointed coolly to the spot where they lay to- 
gether, saying that she might make herself easy, as they had 
already buried them for her, and so saved her the trouble. 

Thus did the infatuated priests and their deluded adhe- 
rents and followers continue the work of extirpation, until, 
according to the most reliable information, four hundred 
Protestants were, within a few days, massacred on Vine- 
gar Hill and its vicinity. Their mangled bodies were left 



138 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



frequently unburied for several days; and such was their 
cruelty that they would not suffer the wives or mothers of 
the slain to perform for them the last sacred acts of human- 
ity, or even to take a farewell look at their cold remains. 
Even the swine were permitted to prey upon many of them. 
This is the more astonishing, since it is universally admitted 
that generosity, humanity, and sympathy, are distinctive 
and prominent features of Irish character. 

How evident, then, must it be, that Popery is not the 
religion of the blessed Jesus, since it can thus extinguish, 
in bosoms naturally noble and generous, the last spark of 
sympathy and compassion toward suffering humanity ! 

Indeed, the priests, fearing lest the people should begin 
to revolt at these bloody deeds, appear to have taken 
special pains to throw over the whole the sanctity of a 
religious proceeding, and to induce them to believe it was 
even the work of Divine goodness; for Taylor, who was 
in their hands during these scenes, declares that "after 
they had finished murdering the lot or party destined for 
the day, they were assembled by a crier, through the camp 
and town, who proclaimed the following harangue : 

" ' To prayers : Three paters and three aves, to be offered 
to God and the blessed Virgin Mary, for our glorious cause ; 
for the further dispersion and extirpation of all heretics; 
for our glorious Church militant on earth and triumphant 
in heaven.' 

"A large tub of water was then brought, which one of 
the priests immediately blessed ; ordering the crowd to 
kneel round about, he, with a wisp of heath, or broom, 
sprinkled them with the water, repeating the words of the 
Psalmist over and over, ' Thou shalt purge'me with hyssop, 
and I shall be clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be 
whiter than snow.' " 

These efforts of the priests were but too successful; a 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



139 



dreadful thirst for human blood seemed to seize the people, 
and the mere pleasure of tormenting them induced them to 
send several miles for prisoners, when those they had taken 
were all dispatched. Still, while our indignation is roused 
against the inhuman conduct of the Roman clergy, Chris- 
tian charity teaches us to throw the mantle of charity over 
the deceived and deluded multitude, who were obsequious 
to their biddings. 



140 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Battle of Ross — 7,000 insurgents slain — Oath found in the 
pocket of a Catholic. 

Turning from these scenes, at which humanity shudders, 
let us direct our attention to the more manly, though 
equally deplorable movements of their accumulating army. 

During these transactions, expresses had been sent by 
the Loyalists to Dublin for aid, and troops began to arrive 
and concentrate at Ross, in the neighborhood of which we left 
the division of insurgents under B. B. Harvy, reveling and 
banqueting, on the eve of an eventful battle. 

Ross was a place of considerable importance: it was 
situated on the eastern bank of a fine river, over which, at 
this place, there was an elegant bridge, seven hundred and 
thirty feet long, and forty feet wide. The town lay at the 
foot of a steep hill, down which most of the roads leading 
into the town were constructed: on this hill the "look-out" 
guard of the garrison was placed. It has already been re- 
marked that, on the evening of the 4th of June, the rebel 
army, 37,000 strong, encamped on Corbet Hill, half a mile 
from Ross. The picket guard on the hill above the town saw 
the rebels take position, and fired a gun at them. Notice of 
their approach was communicated to the garrison, which was 
drawn up at the evening parade. General Johnson imme- 
diately marched out his men to meet them ; but deeming it 
rather too late to commence hostilities, he posted his men 
advantageously, where they stood under arms till morning, 
observing the most profound silence. Fortunately for the 
Loyalists, that evening Lord Mountjoy, colonel of a regi- 
ment of loyal troops, from Dublin, arrived, and united his 
force with that under General Johnson, for the defense of 
the place. This increased the number of troops to over 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



141 



1,700 men. Mountjoy's men were weary and enfeebled by 
a forced march, and had suffered from hunger; but, without 
time or means of refreshment, marched out to meet the 
enemy. The conflict, however, did not commence till 
morning. 

Early on the morning of the 4th, B. B. Harvy put his 
men in order. He then held a council of war, where it 
was determined to summon the town to surrender, sup- 
posing that, like Wexford, it would become an easy prey. 
Harvy therefore dispatched the following summons to Gen- 
eral Johnson : 

"Sir, — As a friend to humanity, I request you will 
surrender the town of New Ross to the Wexford forces 
now assembled against it. Your resistance will but provoke 
rapine and plunder, to the ruin of the innocent. Flushed 
with victory, the Wexford forces, now insurmountable and 
irresistible, will not be controlled if they meet with re- 
sistance. 

V To prevent the total ruin of all property in the town, I 
urge you to a speedy surrender — a surrender which you 
will be forced to in a few hours, with loss and bloodshed, 
as you are surrounded on all sides. Your answer is re- 
quested in a few hours. 

"Citizen Furlong comes with this letter, and will bring 
the answer. I am, sir, etc., 

"B. B. Harvy, M. G." 

"Camp, Corbet Hill, half -past three o'clock, 
Tuesday, 5 th June, 1*798." 

When Furlong approached the advanced guard, they 
shot him down. This was an unwarrantable and injudicious 
act, and, it is but just to say, it was not authorized by the 
commander of the garrison. 

The summons, which was found in the pocket of the un- 
fortunate messenger, was forwarded to headquarters, but 



142 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

no answer was returned. At four o'clock in the morning 
the insurgent army advanced to the attack, confident of suc- 
cess from their numbers — 3T,000 against scarce 1,800 men. 
The advanced posts of the loyal army were soon driven in, 
though they kept up, in their movement, a smart fire on 
the assailants. The insurgents approached in tolerable 
order. They drove before them all the cattle they could 
collect, for the purpose of disordering the ranks of the 
loyal army : a few discharges of grape and canister, how- 
ever, soon sent them scampering over the plains and fields. 

As the dense columns of the insurgents approached, 
they were met with a cool, but well-directed fire, from a 
portion of the troops under General Johnson. The fire 
was returned with great spirit by the insurgents, who now 
entered the town with enthusiastic shouts. But their ad- 
vancing columns were mowed down by a deadly fire of 
musketry. Artillery was now brought to bear on the vast 
masses crowding to the scene of destruction. At every 
fire of the cannon a storm of grape-shot opened wide gaps 
in the insurgent body; these, however, were soon filled 
with others, who, in turn, were mowed down like grass. 
But thousands still behind, many half intoxicated and void 
of fear, rushed on, like tigers, to the onset. The artillery 
being in imminent danger of being taken, it was now with- 
drawn a short distance. 

Encouraged by this movement, the insurgents shouted, 
and rushed down the street. Here they were met by a 
division of cavalry, who were ordered to charge through 
them. The horsemen could only cut their way into the 
solid masses, and now a terrible carnage ensued ; heaps of 
dead lay piled up in confusion. The sabres of the des- 
perate cavalry glittered in the sunbeams ; and waving high 
over their heads, they fell on the maddened ranks below : 
frightened and wounded horses, riderless, rushed madly 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



143 



through the field, trampling beneath their iron hoofs the 
crowded and terrified rebels. 

To save their comrades, who were being cut to pieces by 
the horsemen, Harvy directed a body of pikemen to ad- 
vance in front ; and, as the retiring rebels gave way, these, 
with their long-handled weapons, stood firmly before the 
advancing cavalry. The latter, finding their swords too 
short to contend against such arms, were in turn obliged to 
retreat. For four hours had the action now been raging, 
and the streams from human bosoms rolled down the streets 
in torrents. Numbers, enthusiasm, and native valor, con- 
tended with military discipline, cool daring, and the tactics 
of war, and as yet victory hung in an even balance over 
the unequal hosts. 

Steadily, however, the assailants pushed their raging 
masses onward to the centre of the town, climbing over 
heaps of the dead and dying ; they threw themselves, like 
furies, on the wearied columns of the loyal troops; the 
ground trembled amid the shock and roar of battle, and 
the sound of clashing steel rang on the air. The Dublin 
troops, which had partly given way, were rallied by the 
brave Mountjoy, and led afresh to the charge; and the 
action was revived again in every part of the town, and 
raged with redoubled fury. At this moment the intrepid 
Colonel Mountjoy fell, pierced with a fatal ball; for a few 
moments his regiment fought like veterans round their 
fallen commander, but soon their thinned ranks were seen 
to waver; and, as there seemed no end to the torrent 
of assailants which poured in upon them, they retreated 
hastily from the town, across the bridge, and victory now 
perched on the insurgent banners. 

As the retreating troops halted beyond the bridge, Gen- 
eral Johnson came galloping up, crying, as he waved his 
sword over his head, "Soldiers! I will lay my bones this 



144 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



day in Ross; will you let me lie alone?" The exhausted, 
but not subdued soldiers, gazed with tearful eyes on their 
determined commander, cheered him heartily, and instantly 
forming, followed him back to the bloody field. Major 
Vesey, next in command to Mountjoy, led his men over the 
bridge again, exclaiming, "Now, my brave fellows, revenge 
for your murdered Colonel!" We finish the description of 
the battle by quoting the account of an officer of artillery, 
who shared in the conflict of the day : 

" The whole brigade, except some who fled to Waterford, 
being led on by General Johnson, as brave a commander as 
ever drew a sword, were determined to take the town — to 
conquer or to die. 

"Again we opened a tremendous fire on the rebels, 
which was as fiercely returned. We retook the cannon 
which were taken from the king's forces in a former en- 
gagement, and turned them on the enemy ; the gun I had 
the honor to command being called to the main guard. 
Shocking was it to see the dreadful carnage that was there ! 
it continued for half an hour ; it was obstinate and bloody : 
the thundering of cannon shook the town; the windows 
were shivered in pieces with the dreadful concussion. I 
believe there w r ere six hundred lying in the main street. 
They would often come within a few yards of the guns. 
One fellow ran up, and taking off his hat and wig, 
thrust them up the cannon's mouth the length of his arm, 
calling to the rest, ' Blood-an'-ounds, my boys, come and 
take her now; she's stopped; she's stopped.' The action 
was doubtful and bloody, from four in the morning till four 
in the evening, when the} r began to give way in all quarters, 
and shortly after, fled with speed in every direction, leaving 
behind them all their cannon, baggage, provision, and several 
hogsheads of whisky, brandy, etc., which we spilled, lest 
they should have been poisoned. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 145 

" During the action General Johnson was still in the hottest 
part of the fire : he had three horses shot under him. If 
he saw any of the men too forward, he would ride up and 
say, 'Brother soldier, stay till we all go together.' He 
would encourage them that were behind. Being once in a 
hot fire, one of the soldiers called to him to remove out of 
that, or he would be slain ; he waved his hand and replied, 
* That ball was never made by a rebel that is to kill General 
Johnson.' 

"The computation of their dead was, as near as I can fur- 
nish you, 3,400 buried; sixty-two carsfull thrown into the 
river; sixty carsfull taken away by the rebels. Of the 
loyal troops, 250 fell." 

Thus ended the battle of Ross, by far the most destruc- 
tive and obstinate of any during the Rebellion. Seven 
thousand insurgents who saw the rising sun of that morning, 
ere it set, were cold in the embrace of death. Their spirits 
had passed away to that world where contending armies 
and bloody battles are unknown; but their bodies still lay 
in heaps in the streets, mangled and bloody; while many 
were strewed on the surrounding fields, whither they had 
crawled, during the action, to die. When the engagement 
ended, it was too late to bury the dead, or even take care 
of all the wounded. 

The groans of the dying broke on the ears of the re- 
turning citizens, who had fled chiefly in the morning, when 
the battle began. Night at length drew her dark curtain 
over these scenes of horror. The flames of the houses 
burned by the defeated rebels in their flight, threw a lurid 
radiance on the reflecting clouds ; and, long after the glowing 
tints of evening had faded from the western sky, the com- 
mingling light of various conflagrations continued to illumine 
the summits of the surrounding hills. 

That there was a solemn league among Catholics to 
13 



146 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

destroy Protestants was confirmed by the following oath, 
which was found in the pockets of some of those who were 
slain in this battle : 

Oath. — "I, A. B., do solemnly swear, by our Lord Jesus 
Christ, who suffered for us on the cross, and by the blessed 
Virgin Mary, that I will burn, destroy, and murder, all 
heretics, up to my knees in blood, so help me God." 
(Taylor's History.) 

The result of the battle of Ross revived greatly the 
dejected spirits of the Protestants. It was a salutary 
lesson to some who were halting as to which party they 
should espouse; while, on the other hand, it created im- 
mense excitement among the insurgents. So many of their 
comrades had fallen in one battle, and the day lost. It now 
became evident to themselves that numbers merely would 
not secure them victory. 

Of the thousands of insurgents who found that day a 
bloody bed, not one in a hundred, perhaps, could give a 
rational account of what they were fighting for. Deluded 
by their priests, excited by harangues on liberty and inde- 
pendence, they had left their peaceful homes, their fields 
and families, to wade through the blood of their Protestant 
countrymen to freedom. 

How terrible was their destiny! how desolate their be- 
reaved families ! and how fearful an account will those pro- 
fessed ministers of the Church of Christ have to render at 
the judgment, who, instead of leading their flocks into 
"green pastures" and "beside still waters," led them on to 
fields of blood and carnage ! 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



147 



CHAPTER XII. 

Sculaboge house and barn — Thirty-seven prisoners shot, one 
hundred and eighty-four burned — Their skeletons, an awful 
sight — Remorse of B. B. Harvy at the sight — He predicts their 
defeat — Catholics burned — Miss Ryan — A bagpipe player — Harvy 
disgusted with the priests — Attempts to prevent murder — Is de- 
posed, and a priest elected in his place — Speech of priest Mur- 
phy — Priest Roach Commander-in-chief — His character and hy- 
pocrisy — Priest Roach's gospels or protections — Letter. 

Of all the deeds of cruelty perpetrated during the Rebel- 
lion, no one was spoken of by Mr. Gurley with so much 
severity and indignation, as the one we are now to relate. 
He would detail the murder of his own brother, dreadful as 
it was, with comparative calmness. But the martyrdom at 
"Sculaboge" he never related without excitement. "The 
cowardly wretches," he would say, "why, if they wanted 
blood, did they not go to Ross?" 

It was indeed a transaction, which, for atrocity, scarce 
finds a parallel in the annals of even savage barbarity — a 
deed becoming a Nero or Caligula, and worthy of the 
palmiest days of Papal domination. 

We have already mentioned that the residence of a Mr. 
King, of Sculaboge, was made a depot, or place of con- 
finement, for persons arrested by the insurgent army. His 
house and barn were both so occupied. The prisoners were 
of all ages and both sexes; they were guarded by three 
hundred rebels, who were posted there for the purpose. It 
was several miles from Ross. The battle of Ross had been 
raging about two hours, when^the stern resistance they met 
with from the loyal troops so enraged priest Philip Roach, 
who was associated with Harvy in command, that, out of 
pure revenge, it was determined to murder the prisoner at 
Sculaboge. 

About six o'clock in the morning a rebel, direct from the 



148 



MEMOIR OP REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



battle of Ross, galloped up toward the place, and when 
within hearing of the guard shouted aloud, "Destroy the 
prisoners ! destroy the prisoners ! Our friends are all cut 
off at Ross." But the captain of the guard replied that it 
should not be done without written orders from the Com- 
mander-in-chief. One hour after another express arrived, 
proclaiming, "Our friends are all destroyed. Murder all 
the prisoners !" But the same answer was returned. At ten 
o'clock a third messenger came running on foot, crying, " The 
priest has sent orders to put all the prisoners to death!" 

The dwelling-house contained thirty-seven men. The barn 
was of brick, covered with a thatch roof, with small windows. 
There were in the barn one hundred and eighty-four per- 
sons. Some few were Roman Catholics, who were suspected 
of being "informers" but had not been tried or proved 
guilty ; but the most were Protestants. The doors of the 
building were strongly barricaded, and guards without kept 
watch. Here were the gray-haired sire and the blooming 
girl of seventeen — the husband, the wife, and the infant at 
the breast. And now, not the National Council, not the 
Commander-in-chief, but the "priest" sends word to "de- 
stroy the prisoners." This was sufficient; it must be right, 
for their holy spiritual father had ordered it ; and the infal- 
libility of their Church was not to be doubted. It was 
only the extirpation of heretics, and this, in the eyes of the 
whole Church and the Pope himself, would be regarded as 
a meritorious act. 

Deliberately, as if preparing for then daily work, the 
rebel guards now strip off their coats, tie bundles of straw, 
bring ladders, and light torches, while half their number 
stand under loaded arms. An oblation is now to be made 
to the spirit of Popery — an offering of peculiar merit. It 
was not sufficient that the mangled forms of brave men, 
cloven down in battle, should be laid in heaps at her 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEV. 



149 



shrine ; the sacrifice is not perfect, till the blood, and bones, 
and ashes of unresisting men, tender women, and sinless 
babes, are laid on her altar. Falling upon their knees, a 
short and hurried prayer is offered to the holy Virgin ; a 
fresh unction, but not from heaven, is poured into their 
craven hearts, to prepare them for deeds which " dare not 
seek repentance." 

Now, husbands, take your last fond embrace, and, with 
your fainting wives, look to heaven, your only refuge. Now, 
mothers, press for the last time to your throbbing bosoms 
your cherub babes ; they will soon be angels. 

From the door of the cottage now issue, under a strong 
guard, thirty-seven men ; their hands are tied behind them. 
Slowly they march out to the skirts of a beautiful orchard ; 
and placed in a row, they kneel down on the grass to await 
the word of command which shall seal their fate. But no 
word is given. A wave of the officer's sword is seen; a 
hundred muskets ring on the air and echo from the distant 
hills. Slowly the cloud of smoke rises from the earth, and 
there, stretched on the green turf, quivering in death or 
writhing in anguish, lay the unfortunate martyrs; from 
their heaving bosoms the last torrent was streaming. The 
ready pikes finished the tragic work, and the spirits of 
thirty-seven mortals are on their flight together to that 
world where there is no more death. 

Scarcely had the last groan from without died away on 
the ear, when the command was given to "fire the barn." 
Instantly the ready torches were applied to the thatch of 
the building — bundles of blazing straw were thrust into the 
windows, which instantly communicated the fire to the 
combustibles within. The desperate victims now rushed to 
the door, and made a powerful effort to escape, but, alas ! 
in vain. At this moment a woman, trusting to the humanity 
of the rebels, wrapped a garment around her infant and 

13* 



150 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



threw it out of a window, in hope that some one would pity- 
it ; but a rebel darted his pike through its tender body, and 
bearing it aloft on his dreadful weapon, thrust it back into 
the flames, with a most fearful and horrid oath. In two 
minutes the barn was one dense mass of smoke and flame. 
And now there rose to heaven one loud, long, piercing 
shriek of utter despair, succeeded by dismal groans and 
stifled cries of mercy ! mercy ! Slowly died away the wail- 
ings of the martyrs, till no voice within broke the dread 
roaring of the flames, which now, bursting through the com- 
bustible roof, towered high in air mid volumes of ascending 
smoke. ISTo tears of pity filled the eyes of the murderers — 
no sigh of compassion burst from their stony bosoms — but, 
through apertures of the barn, they thrust their pikes into 
the burning bodies, and gloried in their dreadful crimes. 

Among the most sanguinary actors in this bloody scene, 
the pen of the historian has recorded the names of Fardy, 
Redmond, Sinnott, and Misskella. These treated with 
revolting indignities the very bodies of the dead, and "be- 
haved otherwise so cruel as to obtain from their comrades 
the title of the 'True born Romans.'" (Taylor's History.) 

The bodies of the sufferers were left undisturbed for four 
days, when one hundred and eighty-four skeletons were 
cleared out of the barn, thrown into one promiscuous heap 
in a ditch, and slightly covered with clay. 

B. B. Harvy escaped from the battle of Ross, and on the 
next morning came to see the result of the tragedy at 
Sculaboge. When he beheld the interior of the smolder- 
ing building, he was filled with the greatest distress and 
anguish of mind. This spectacle was too revolting to 
behold, and too horrid for description. The crisp bodies 
of the dead were in every attitude : some standing against 
the blackened walls, others laying in heaps in each other's 
arms — some were buried beneath the ashes ©f the timber 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 151 

of the building, and many burnt to a cinder. Harvy turned 
from the scene with horror, wrung his hands, and said to 
some around him, that "there were as innocent persons 
burnt there as ever were born," and "your conquests for 
liberty are at an end." To a Protestant friend he said, "I 
now see my folly in embarking with this people. If they 
succeed I shall be murdered by them, and if they are 
defeated I shall be hanged." 

Besides the Protestants who were burned, there were a 
few well-disposed Papists. Some of these were servants 
who would not consent to the massacre of their Protestant 
masters. Among the Catholics who suffered was one young 
lady, a Miss Elizabeth Ryan, a beautiful and blooming girl 
of seventeen. Her sister, though a Catholic, was receiving 
the special attentions of a Protestant gentleman in a neigh- 
boring town. Presuming she would communicate to her 
lover all she could learn of their plans and designs, the 
insurgents went to her father's in search of her; but not 
finding her, they took her younger sister Elizabeth, alledg- 
ing that she might be equally dangerous. The terrified 
girl begged in vain for mercy; she was borne off in their 
savage arms. Her father soon after followed to entreat 
them to liberate her ; but, instead of respecting the sorrows 
of age, they thrust him into the barn. His wife, a feeble 
old lady, uneasy at the long delay of her husband and 
daughter, followed them to see what was the matter, when 
the cruel wretches put her in with them, and all three per- 
ished together. 

Another who suffered was a Mr. William Johnson. He 
was an old man, and obtained a scanty living by playing 
the bagpipes, a favorite instrument of a large portion of 
the Irish. But, unfortunately, while amusing the rebels 
with various tunes, he unthinkingly played the popular one, 
"Croppies, lie down." Croppies was an old nickname for 



152 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



disaffected Catholics, and the tune, though common in 
ordinary times, and its origin unknown to many, was now a 
mortal sin. The old man protested his innocence in vain — 
and his feeble frame sunk down amid the devouring flames. 

Thus ended the massacre at Sculaboge. The breath- 
less forms of more than two hundred fellow-mortals, so 
recently intrusted to their care, no longer needed their 
attention; and, exulting in the glorious achievement, the 
rebel guard marched to reinforce their brethren at the bat- 
tle of Ross. But the destroying angel had gone before 
them, and that huge army were slain and dispersed. 

They were soon met by multitudes of the wounded 
retreating from the field ; some borne in cars, some on foot, 
crawling on as best they could, with broken arms, bleeding 
heads, and mangled faces, begrimed with smoke and cov- 
ered with dust and blood. Further on they met the main 
body of insurgents, retreating with the utmost confusion 
and haste — with curses, execrations, and noise of every 
kind. Many of them stole home and joined the rebel 
standard no more. The destruction of the prisoners in 
cold blood, with the more thoughtful Catholics, was a poor 
consolation for the defeat of an army of thirty-seven thou- 
sand men, seven thousand of whom lay stretched on the 
field. 

B. B. Harvy, though still retaining his official relations, 
was in great distress of mind. He now penetrated fully 
the design of the Catholic clergy; he now saw that they 
had appointed him to office chiefly because he was rich and 
otherwise available. All the next day after the battle he 
was in a state of great agitation. He now set himself to the 
humane, but hopeless task, of interposing his authority to 
prevent the further shedding of Protestant blood. Accord- 
ingly, the day after, he issued an order, or proclamation, of 
which the following is an extract: 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



153 



"All men refusing to obey their superior officers, to be 
tried by court martial, and punished according to their* 
sentence. Any person or persons who shall take upon 
themselves to kill or murder any person or persons, burn 
any house, or commit any plunder, without special written 
orders from the Commander-in-chief, shall suffer death. 
"By order of 

"B. B. Harvy, Commander-in-chief. 
" F. Brien, Secretary and Adjutant. 
"Headquarters, June 6, 1*798." 

The priests in the army had not failed to observe Harvy's 
disgust at their inhumanity, and that the proclamation was 
a severe reflection on their whole course, and calculated to 
interfere with their future designs. This humane policy, 
therefore, of the Commander-in-chief they resented, and 
resolved on his downfall. Nor were they at a loss for 
means to revenge the affront. They soon called around 
them their different flocks, and, after depicting, in glowing 
language, the holy work in which they were engaged, 
pointed out, in the strongest terms, the impropriety of 
having a heretic for their commander; intimating that the 
battle of Ross was lost on this account ; that Heaven would 
not prosper them under such a leader. Through these 
measures, in a few days, they succeeded in getting Harvy 
deposed of his generalship, and a priest, Philip Roach, was 
elected in his stead. 

Harvy being now out of the way, the Catholic clergy, 
who had feared the loss of their influence with the people, 
now once more strenuously exhorted them to go on in the 
glorious work of extirpating all enemies to their Church. 
Father Murphy, of Ballycannow, was among the most zeal- 
ous. To encourage the insurgents, after the defeat of 
Ross, he addressed them, in a speech, as follows : 

"Brethren, you see you are victorious everywhere; that 



154 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

the balls of the heretics fly about you without hurting you ; 
" that few of your number have fallen, whilst thousands of 
the heretics are dead ; and the few that have fallen was 
from deviating from our cause, and want of faith ; that this 
visibly is the work of God, who is determined that the 
heretics, who have reigned upward of one hundred years, 
shall now be extirpated, and the true Catholic religion 
be established." 

General Priest Roach is reported to have been a large, 
corpulent person, of commanding appearance and authori- 
tative air. To these qualities chiefly he must have been 
indebted for his promotion ; for he was utterly destitute of 
the judgment, sagacity, and comprehensive intellect essen- 
tial to a successful military leader. His first efforts to 
distinguish himself were barefaced appeals to the ignorance 
and superstition of his followers; for, having collected 
several bullets, he held them up to the gaze of his aston- 
ished men, assuring them, in the most solemn manner, that 
he caught them as they were flying in the battle of Ross ; 
that many more, which he caught, he gave to his men, 
during the heat of the battle, who loaded their pieces with 
them; "and this," said he, "is what no other army can 
boast." The credulous multitude listened to his statement 
with amazement; and, as was exceedingly natural, were 
anxious to know if this invulnerability to the shafts of death 
could be transferred or communicated to them ; and great 
was their delight, when the holy father assured them that 
it could. Accordingly, he published that he had prepared 
a sort of charm, or "gospel," which, if hung on the neck, 
would make the wearer proof against all weapons of death ; 
but that, notwithstanding their extraordinary utility, they 
would be of no avail, unless they were purchased. The 
price, to the more wealthy, was half a crown ; but the poor, 
who were zealous in their glorious cause, could obtain them 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



155 



for "sixpence a-piece." Thousands of them were made, and 
sent round the country for sale. They were printed on 
paper or muslin, and hung, by a bit of tape, on the neck. 
The following will give the reader a correct idea of General 
Priest Roach's protection, or gospel : 



NAME OF 



GOD, 




AND OF THE 

BLESSED 
VIRGIN. 



AMEN. 

No pistol, gun, sword, or any other offensive weapon can 
hurt, or otherwise injure, the person who has 
this paper in his possession. 

This effort to deceive and rob his people, not only shows 
the absence of essential requisites of mind, in a commander- 
in-chief, but clearly stamps his character as a hypocrite, 
deceiver, and notorious impostor. The letters in the scroll, 
it will be observed, are the initials of the inscription placed 
on the cross of the Savior, at his crucifixion. How a pro- 
fessed minister of the Church of Christ could connect that 
solemn writing, and the cross itself, with a palpable and 
known lie, for the express purpose of deceiving and robbing, 
I must leave for the holy fathers of the infallible Church 
of Rome to explain. 

Harvy did not much regret the loss of his command. 



156 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



He was, as we have seen, heartily tired of his situation. 
He continued, however, for some time, to act as President 
of the Council. The following reply to a letter from an 
acquaintance of Mr. G-urley's, who had, happily, so far, 
escaped arrest, will throw further light on his feelings : 

" Dear Sir, — I received your letter ; but what to do for 
you I know not. I, from my heart, wish to protect all 
property. I can scarce protect myself; and, indeed, my 
situation is much to be pitied, and distressing to myself. I 
took my present situation, in hopes of doing good, and 
preventing mischief. My trust is in Providence. I acted 
always an honest and disinterested part; and had the 
advice I gave, some time since, been taken, the present 
mischief could never have arisen. If I can retire to a 
private station again, I will immediately. Mr. Tottingham's 
refusing to speak to the gentleman I sent to Ross, who was 
madly shot by the soldiers, was very unfortunate. It has 
set the people mad with rage, and there is no restraining 
them. 

" The person I sent in had private instructions to propose 
a reconciliation: but God knows where this business will 
end; but, end how it may, the good men of both parties 
will be inevitably ruined. 

"I am, with respect, dear sir, yours, etc., 

"B. B. Harvy." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



157 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Battle of Arklow — Sergeant Shepherd — Death uf priest Mur- 
phy — Insurgents routed — End and Character of Murphy — Dese- 
cration of a church — Abuse of Bibles — Persecution of Protestants — 
Murder of the Hornicks — Conscious guilt of Papists — Singular cir- 
cumstance — Eowsom shot by priest Kearns — Reflections. 

During the transactions at Ross and Sculaboge, so 
unfavorable to the rebel cause, a surprisingly large force 
had rallied round the insurgent banner at Gorey. Here 
they had remained, increasing in number from the 4th, on 
which they took possession, until the 9th. 

During this time the usual work — hunting Protestants 
and murdering them — was pursued with their accustomed 
industry and cruelty ; while, in the camp, all kinds of abom- 
ination were committed. Abandoned women flocked there, 
and gambling, drunkenness, and debauchery were the order 
of the day. 

The news of the defeat at Ross roused them once more, 
and they began to think they had been too long inactive. 
The town of Arklow was still in possession of the loyal 
troops and yeomanry. The conquest of this place was of 
vital importance to the revolutionists ; for it would open a 
communication with the county of Wicklow and Killdare 
rebels, and thus, by increasing their forces, prepare the way 
for an immediate attack on Dublin. But, knowing that the 
place was garrisoned by a strong body of yeomanry and 
other troops, and dreading the consequences of a defeat, 
they sent to Vinegar Hill and Wexford for reinforcement ; 
and all persons in the surrounding counties were ordered to 
repair to camp without delay. The Gorey camp now 
contained thirty-four thousand men and three pieces of 
artillery. It was from this camp priest Murphy wrote the 
14 



158 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



following letter to Mr. Thomas Houston, Dublin, dated 
Gorey, June 6, 1798: 

"Friend Houston, — Great events are ripening. In a 
few days we shall meet. The first-fruits of your regenera- 
tion must be a tincture of poison and pike, in the metropolis, 
against the heretics. This is a tribunal for such opinions. 
Your talents must not be buried as a judge. Your soul 
must be steeled with fortitude against heresy. Then we 
shall do, and you shall shine in a higher sphere. We shall 
have an army of brave republicans — one hundred thousand, 
with fourteen pieces of cannon — on Tuesday, before Dublin. 
Your heart will beat high at the news. You will rise with 
a proportionable force. 

"Yours, as ever, M. Murphy." 

On the morning of the 9th of June mass was celebrated ; 
and, at 2 o'clock, this heavy force halted within two miles 
of Arklow. The town was a beautiful place, situated on a 
fine stream, over which was a bridge of eighteen arches. 
It was on the borders of Wexford and Wicklow counties, 
and only thirty-five miles from the capital. General Need- 
ham, with fifteen hundred troops, defended the town. 
These were led out a short distance from the village, and — 
several hundred being placed behind the hedges and in the 
ditches — extended along the road by which the insurgents 
were advancing. The rebel force made an imposing appear- 
ance, as they came, with their green flags waving in the air. 
Needham pushed forward a detachment of men, somewhat 
beyond the men in ambush, and in the high road. On 
these the rebels advanced, and, at a respectful distance, 
opened a brisk fire, which was returned with spirit by the 
troops. This was continued a few minutes, the rebels still 
advancing, and men began to fall on both sides; when, 
according to previous arrangement, the troops gave way, 
and retreated, with seeming confusion, toward the town. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM HURLEY. 159 

The assailants, perceiving this, instantly pursued, with loud 
shouts of victory. The officers waved their caps, crying 
out, "Come on, my boys, the town's our own!" But 
suddenly, from behind the hedges, there blazed a sheet of 
fire, and hundreds dropped, as if struck with thunderbolts 
from heaven. A field-piece, which was in readiness, was 
now placed in the centre of the road, and opened on them 
with a deadly storm of grape, which swept the road, 
hundreds falling at every discharge, until the insurgent 
force in that direction made a retreat. 

In the meantime the rebel artillery, under Captain Esmond 
Kyan, had gained an elevation that commanded the town, 
expecting from thence to do much execution. The manage- 
ment of the cannon, however, was under the immediate 
direction of Sergeant Shepherd, of the Royal Irish Artil- 
lery, who had been taken prisoner some time before, and 
whom they foolishly compelled to serve in their ranks. 
Shepherd was a brave and shrewd man ; he resolved that 
they should profit as little as possible by the game. He 
elevated the guns so high that the balls flew over the 
town; and, at one time, he turned his gun a little on one 
side, and loading with grape, swept away about thirty 
of their own men. 

Dick Monk, a rebel officer, perceiving this transaction, 
galloped up, and would have killed him on the spot, had 
not Esmond Kyan interposed, declaring it was the cannon 
of the army that did the mischief. Kyan then ordered 
Shepherd to load with ball, and demolish the town, and 
then rode elsewhere. As soon as he was gone, Shepherd 
again loaded with grape, which he knew could do no 
injury. 

Monk and Ryan, satisfied that all was not right, went to 
watch the execution of their cannon. Perceiving that the 
balls flew a mile beyond the town, Kyan leveled the piece 



160 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

himself, and with such precision, that the first ball shivered 
in pieces the carriage of one of the Needham guns, and a 
second struck the top of the inn. 

The insurgents had already begun to give way below the 
hill, being repulsed in all quarters, in their efforts to enter 
the town; but while some of them were retreating, they 
were met by priest John Murphy, of Ballycannow, with a 
reinforcement. He drove the flying rebels back, telling 
them he would "beat them with the dust of the road." 
The wavering ranks hailed the approach of Murphy with 
deafening shouts, for they were just ready to yield. A 
field-piece, planted by the loyal troops in an advantageous 
position, was sweeping them down at every fire. 

Murphy perceived this, and, cheered by the shouts of his 
men, boldly advanced with his party to take it; but when 
within a few yards of the gun, his bowels were torn out by 
a discharge of canister, while his followers fell in heaps 
around him. The cry, "the priest is down," now spread 
through the ranks, and at once decided the fortunes of the 
day, scarcely doubtful before. 

A deep conviction that Sergeant Shepherd had betrayed 
his trust seized the defeated rebels, and it was with the 
utmost difficulty Captain Kyan succeeded in saving his life. 

This was a hard-fought battle. One who saw the field 
after it was over, describes it as dreadful to behold. Men 
and horses lay dead in heaps ; mangled trunks, heads, and 
limbs, were scattered over the plains, w T hile the streets 
leading into the town were red with gore. The loss on the 
part of the Loyalists was but small; while the insurgents 
lost a thousand men.* 

* The following quotation, from a late traveler in Ireland, will 
show that the battles and blood which have soiled and stained the 
beautiful fields of Arklow, are not yet forgotten: 

" The next day we visited Arklow. The only object of curiosity 
was the decayed castle, of which but one tower is left; this the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



161 



Priest Murphy, who fell in this action, was the same who 
resided in Ballycannow, the village in which Mr. Beatty 
lived, the father-in-law of Mr. Gurley, who had presented 
the Catholics the ground on which their chapel was built. 
Murphy was foremost, with his followers, to deceive Lord 
Mount Korris, by taking the oath of allegiance, as men- 
tioned in the former part of this work. He now met the 
end of his career, and the just reward of his perfidy, in- 
gratitude, and hypocrisy. 

The insurgents retreated to their camp at Gorey, where 
they continued to commit all kinds of excesses. They took 
two Protestants, who had fallen into their hands, into the 
Protestant church, and piked them just before the altar, in 
order to show their contempt for the established religion. 
They tore in pieces the large pulpit Bible, and carrying the 
leaves on the top of the pikes, exclaimed, "Behold the 
French colors !" Others placed Bibles on their horses, and 
used them for saddles. In short, they reveled in all kinds 
of iniquity until the 19 th, when they marched for Vinegar 
Hill. 

sergeant of the barracks, who had the care of it, kindly offered to 
show us. It was built in the year 1200. 

" Our guide conducted us to the top, by winding stairs, to look 
out upon the adjacent country, and see where the great battles had 
been fought, which had deluged that part of the country in blood. 
The battle of Arklow, ' while seed-time and harvest remain/ will 
lire in the memory of all who saw it or shall read of it. 

" The prospect was both grand and awful. The river Avoca 
was at our feet, winding gracefully through the rich vale called 
by its name. At our right hand lay the sea; at our left, the moun- 
tains of Wicklow; behind us, the town of Arklow; and near where 
I stood was once the skull of Hacket, which had been fixed to the 
top of the castle in the days of the Rebellion. This man had 
killed many a Protestant, and in return they shot him, took off his 
head, and placed it on the top of the castle, where it remained till 
a few years since, when a wren made her nest in his mouth, and it 
finally tumbled down, and received a burial by the side of the 
tower." (Ireland's Welcome to the Stranger, page 58.) 

U 



162 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



While the camp continued in the latter place, the follow- 
ing cruelties occurred: A Mr. Hornick, a gentleman of 
property, was supposed to have arms in his possession. 
Priest Roach headed a body of men, and went in pursuit 
of him. Not finding him, they burned his house, and 
plundered his goods. He had two sons ; one a clergyman 
in Enniscorthy, and the other an apprentice to an apoth- 
ecary, in the same place : these they took and murdered. 

The latter, a fine young man, was promised his life if he 
would write to his father for the arms in his possession, 
stating that he was a hostage till they were delivered. This 
he did ; but as soon as the letter was sent, without waiting 
for an answer, they piked him, shot him, stripped him 
naked, and threw him among the dead. Life, however, 
still remained, and during the night he made out to creep 
away from the hill, and went home to his father's place, in 
hopes of meeting a friendly shelter, and, at least, to die in 
the bosom of friends. But, alas ! the parents had fled, and 
the dwelling was in ashes ! He was soon found by some 
of his Papist neighbors, from whom he hoped for compas- 
sion; but perceiving him naked and covered with blood, 
they led him to a gravel-pit, and there thmst him in, and 
covered him with earth. 

The question will doubtless occur to the reader, Is it 
possible that the perpetrators of these atrocious deeds 
could be so blinded as to believe that they were doing 
right? Doubtless, some of them were so profoundly igno- 
rant as fully to believe that whatever their priests sanctioned 
must be right. But to suppose that the majority of them, 
though led on by their ghostly fathers, felt wholly innocent, 
with their hands red in the blood of their neighbors, would 
be to undervalue the teachings of conscience, and to over- 
look the dictates of our common humanity. Doubtless, 
after the season of excitement was over, calm reflection 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



163 



took the place of frenzied bigotry. Many a guilty wretch 
carried in his aching bosom an intolerable load of remorse. 
The following singular case, related by Taylor, is confirma- 
tory of this opinion: 

"During the Rebellion a man named Patrick Darcy went 
into the house of James Sherlock, of Enniscorthy, dragged 
out his father, William Sherlock, a man over sixty years old, 
and murdered him in the street. After the Rebellion, Darcy 
was apprehended for the murder, and committed to Wexford 
jail. On the night of the 9th of November following, his 
wife, who was permitted to sleep with him in his cell, saw, 
in the middle of the night, the appearance of an old man 
coming in. She was so much alarmed that she awoke her 
husband, who, when he beheld the apparition, gave a violent 
screech, and immediately took ill; from which time he la- 
bored under a very burdened mind until he died, which 
happened a few days after. This account I had from the 
jailer, while Darcy was in his coffin." A guilty conscience 
produces an excited imagination. 

Not only were such cruelties as have been narrated com- 
mitted by the people under the direction of their clergy, but 
the priests themselves, it would seem, delighted to have 
their sacerdotal vestments dyed in Protestant blood. This 
will fully appear from the following case, which occurred 
while Mr. Gurley was in prison : 

When the Protestants were flying from Gorey to Arklow, 
priest Kearns, with a party of rebels, overtook some of 
them; among others was a Mr. Rowsom. Father Kearns 
asked him his name. On hearing it, he told him that he 
must die, and ordered him to kneel down till he would 
shoot him. Some of the rebels, shocked, perhaps, to see 
their holy father about to murder in cold blood with his 
own hands, drew their pikes, and were about to kill him in 
their own way ; but father Kearns prevented them, saying, 



164 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



"I will do him the honor to dispatch him myself;" then 
placing his pistol to his head he drew the trigger, but it 
missed fire. Again the men were for relieving the priest 
of the virtue of such an act, but he deliberately put fresh 
powder in the pan, telling his trembling victim not to stir. 
His pistol, now faithful, rang on the air. The ball passed 
through the man's chin and neck, tearing him most fright- 
fully. Here he left him weltering in his own blood. The 
priest passed on as unconcerned as if nothing had occurred. 

Merciful God, how are thy creatures fallen ! What hid- 
den depths of depravity lie buried in the human heart! 
Alas for the Church that can sanction such unparalleled 
violation of every principle of justice and humanity! Sure- 
ly, if there is a God on the throne of the universe, his 
righteous retributions and judgment will fall on such a 
people. In ordinary cases of condemnation for willful mur- 
der, the judge weeps as he pronounces the sentence of the 
law on the guilty culprit. But here, the judge, jury, and 
executioner are united in the person of the priest, who 
chooses the work and performs the dreadful deed, with an 
evident gratification, worthy of a demon in human form. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



165 



CHAPTER XIV. 

State of "Wexford — Imprisonment of Rev. George Taylor, trav- 
eling preacher — Extract from his narrative — Furnished with food 
by Mr. Gurley — His narrow escape from death at Gorey — His dress, 
sufferings, and persecutions — He is prevented from praying in 
prison — Prayer meeting in Mr. Gurley 's cell well attended — Happy 
result therefrom — Conversion of a prisoner — His triumphant 
death — Found afterward by Mr. Gurley on his knees in the 
water — Arrival of King's troops — Insurgents concentrate on Vin- 
egar Hill — Troops under General Lake surround the hill — State 
of things in Wexford — The death of all the prisoners announced, 
to take place next day. 

During the sanguinary scenes we have related, Wexford 
still remained in the hands of the rebels, and Mr. Gurley 
and his associates still remained in prison. 

On the 14th of June, the Rev. George Taylor, a Wes- 
ley an minister on an adjoining circuit, was brought to the 
jail in a woful plight. He was clothed in a soldier's old 
garments, which were dirty and ragged ; without hat, neck- 
cloth, or comfortable shoes. A few extracts from his nar- 
rative of his captivity and sufferings, may be interesting to 
the reader: 

"On our entering the prison the jailer took down our 
names, and we were conducted to the back yard. Here I 
washed my feet at the pump, which afforded me some relief ; 
after which I lay down before the sun to take a little rest. 
I had not been long thus, when a gentleman who knew me, 
and was also a prisoner, brought me to his cell and gave me 
a part of his dinner, which I thought was the sweetest I 
had ever tasted." 

This was Mr. Gurley, who found him with blistered feet, 
weary, exhausted, and emaciated with hunger. They were 
well acquainted with each other, for Mr. Taylor was a 
townsman of Mrs. Gurley's, and also an itinerant preacher. 



166 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Mr. Gurley embraced him with affection, and they wept in 
each other's arms. Finding he was extremely hungry, he 
took him to his cell, as before related, and shared with him 
some food which Mrs. Gurley had that morning sent to the 
prison. 

The- day before he was arrested he was out at an appoint- 
ment, on his way home. His feelings are thus described: 

" On my return, being twelve miles from home, as I 
passed by 'Hinch church,' between Coolgreny and Gorey, 
I entered it to view the deserted tabernacle of the Lord ; 
and was much affected to think, that both minister and 
people were obliged to fly from it. The desolation likewise 
which I now saw holding its melancholy reign through the 
country as I passed along, and the destruction which seemed 
to be brooding over the land in general, had such a powerful 
effect on me that I could not refrain from weeping, and that 
abundantly. I entreated the Lord not to desert his Church 
and people for ever, but to turn their captivity as the 
streams of the south, and not to give us over into the 
hands of cruel and deceitful men. 

" While reading the psalms for the day — 5th of June — 
my soul was much comforted; and I found, also, the first 
book of Samuel, 2d chapter, very precious, particularly the 
ninth and tenth verses : ' He will keep the feet of his saints, 
and the wicked shall be silent in darkness ; for by strength 
shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the Lord shall 
be broken to pieces ; out of heaven shall be thunder upon 
them ; the Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he 
shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his 
anointed/ " 

On his way home he was arrested by some armed rebels, 
and taken to the camp at Gorey, where he was confined in 
the market-house. He says : 

"My Papist neighbors, hearing I was in confinement, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



167 



came to see me, and wished me a speedy deliverance, and 
told me how to procure it; namely, to be baptized by a 
priest and embrace the Roman Catholic faith, and join 
them in arms to fight for the cause of liberty ; but that I 
would be shot if I did not turn Papist. I told them I was 
obliged to them, and doubted not it was good-nature which 
induced them to speak as they did; but I was baptized 
already, and had no reason to condemn the Church of 
England. A few days after my being taken to Gorey, they 
stripped me of a suit of black and gave me a soldier's old 
jacket, waistcoat, and small clothes; they also took from 
me my hat, neckcloth, and shoes, and, having thus plun- 
dered me, left me to meditate on what was likely to follow. 
Nor was it I alone that was thus robbed, for all the prison- 
ers were served in the same way. Having thus stripped us, 
they led us forth to the camp to be shot. Providentially, 
two days prior to this, B. B. Harvy, Commander-in-chief, 
issued a proclamation, one article of which was, 'Any per- 
son who shall take upon him to kill or murder any person, 
without special written orders from the Commander-in-chief, 
shall be put to death.' Just as we were ranged on our 
knees, and our executioners in their appointed place, with 
guns and pikes to put us all to death, a man came into the 
camp with the above proclamation, which was immediately 
read, and proved the means of saving our lives. Never- 
theless, we were near being sacrificed by these blood-thirsty 
men; being so enraged with disappointment, they would 
hardly let us return to our prison alive. Some they stabbed, 
at others they fired ; one man received five wounds from a 
pike, and had three ribs broken ; another was shot through 
the shoulders, and I, being arrayed with a soldier's coat, 
was struck several times and received a stab in the back. 
After being thus abused, we were ordered to the guard- 
house. Blessed be God ! I can say, through the whole of 



168 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



this trying scene my mind was given up to him, and at 
peace with all mankind." 

His unaffected piety and meek deportment seem to have 
moved even the hearts of his cruel enemies, as appears 
from the following: 

"At night, when the prisoners were about to lie down, I 
asked the guards if they would give me leave to pray with 
them, as people of every persuasion should pray, if they 
expected to be saved. They complied. I then prayed. 
The guards, though Papists, were much affected, and 
seemed much attached to me ; nor would they permit me to 
sit among the prisoners any more, but made me go among 
themselves, and sent in a good character of me to their 
officers. God was indeed very kind to me here; for the 
next morning they cut the hair off all the prisoners' heads, 
and put pitched caps on them, but they meddled not with 
me ; yea, even a minister of the Church of England, a 
fellow-prisoner, they served in the same way.* 

"In the midst of all I was constantly engaged with God 
to support me, and enable me to adorn the Gospel of our 
Lord Jesus; to bless our gracious sovereign, and all his 
forces, by land and sea ; to establish his throne for ever, 
that his children and children's children might sway the 
British sceptre till time should be no more, and be nursing 
fathers to the Protestant religion." 

A good Briton he, nor less a Christian. The kindness 
of his masters soon changed ; for, after having had a trial, 
he was acquitted of any special blame, and required to go 
to the camp and take arms in their cause. This he refused 
to do. He says: 

"Me appointed to fight against that King who always 
gave us liberty ! I could not do it ; and, therefore, resolved 

*This was the Mr. Danniels referred to by Mr. Gurley who, 
from his extreme suffering, became insane. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



1G9 



to choose imprisonment, or death itself, rather than be 
guilty of such a crime." His refusal enraged the rebel 
officers, and he was ordered to be pinioned— that is, to have 
his wrists tied together, and his arms tied down to his sides — 
and, with others, sent to Wexford prison. Speaking of his 
appearance on the way, he says : " It may not be amiss, 
perhaps, to describe my dress and situation. I had on a 
soldier's worn-out coat, a vest and breeches by much too 
little, torn and ragged, a boot-slipper on one foot, and a 
brogue-slipper on the other. My feet, of course, were 
weary to the last degree." In this condition he reached the 
prison, as above related — a sad plight, indeed, for a minister 
of the Gospel. 

How trifling are the trials of itinerant ministers, now, in 
comparison with those endured by those who have been 
gathered to their fathers ! And how diligent should we be, 
as Protestants and as patriots, to resist and counteract the 
mighty efforts of Romanism in our country — that deadliest 
foe of liberty of conscience and free government ! 

Rev. Mr. Taylor was not kept long in the city prison, 
but, owing to its crowded state, was, with others, taken to 
the market-house, and confined there, in an upper room. 
His guards were not so indulgent to him as those at Gorey. 
"At night," says he, "when my fellow-prisoners were 
preparing for sleep, I asked them to kneel down, that I 
might pray with them. The guards, on hearing this, were 
so enraged, that they swore they would send a brace of 
balls through me if I attempted it again. This menace so 
intimidated the prisoners, that they could scarcely be pre- 
vailed on to join in prayer for some time. Nevertheless, 
they had my silent breathings. In the morning one man 
said to me, ' If your tongue had been between my teeth, 
last night, I would have bit it off.' I asked him, 'Why?' 
He replied, 'You are going the way to have us all mur- 

15 



170 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



dered.' '~No,' said I; 'but I am going the way to have 
you all preserved ; for now is the time to call on the Strong 
for strength.' " 

In Mr. Gurley's cell, however, they had better times. 
The stated meetings for prayer were kept up, though, 
almost every day, some were taken out and put to death. 
Referring to these seasons of devotion, in his papers, Mr. 
Gurley remarks: 

"The number of Protestants taken out, from time to 
time, to be put to death, caused my prayer meetings, 
morning, noon, and evening, to be thronged ; but, after we 
were locked up at night, we had prayers by ourselves, in 
the cell." 

Mr. Gurley often remarked, that a Divine power attended 

these meetings, such as he never saw before; and several 

were enabled to believe with the heart, and to trust in a 

present Savior, and were happy in their bonds. Some who, 

hitherto, had been lukewarm, were now quickened, and 

made alive in Christ, rejoicing in their Redeemer. These 

results were cordials to the heart of Mr. Gurley, so that he 

realized the sentiment of the poet, 

" And prisons would palaces prove, 

If Jesus would dwell "with me there." 

Mr. Gurley records the following case as one of deep inter- 
est to himself: 

"William Clarke was, several years before the Rebellion, 
a member of my class. I do not know that I ever knew 
one so long and so earnestly seeking for pardon and the 
witness of the Spirit, without finding peace. He was 
constantly at class, and very prudent and sober in his 
conduct, both at home and abroad. Poor William! from 
the time he was put in the prison he attended regularly our 
public prayer meetings, and especially our noon intercessions. 
On the 20th of June, while at our mid-day meeting, God 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 1*71 

spoke peace to his longing soul. 0, how happy he was! 
Indeed, our prison was a paradise, for Jesus was there. 
He found Him whom he had long sought after; and O, at 
how important a time ! I do believe it was not two hours 
from the time he found pardon till he was, I hope and 
trust, admitted into glory. The rebels took him out ; and 
I was positively assured, that he acted as a noble martyr, 
evincing the most calm and steadfast state of mind, as he 
was led to a tormenting death. As he passed along toward 
the bridge where he was to be murdered, he joyfully com- 
menced singing praises to God. The guards ordered him 
to stop, but he calmly replied, that he would praise God 
while he had breath, and sang on. They barbarously 
thrust their pikes through his body, calling him a swaddling 
heretic, and then threw him over the bridge into the river. 
I believe he had his senses to the last ; for, when I went 
down to the bridge, the day after we were liberated, there 
I saw William Clarke, on his knees, at the bottom of the 
river, with both his arms clasped round one of the pillars, 
or trestles, of the bridge. Being thrown over the north 
side of the bridge, and the tide setting to the south, on the 
way he met with the pillar, and took a death-hold of it, 
and doubtless there kept praying as long as he had life, and 
after death kept his grasp, until the people brought him up. 
I saw him after he was taken home. His knees could not 
be straightened ; his face was but little distorted, and nearly 
as he used to look. Poor man, how soon, after he found 
peace in Christ, did he find a happy asylum, 'where the 
wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest!' " 

British officers, with king's troops and Irish volunteers, 
were now daily arriving in the county ; and the sore defeats 
which they had met with in different places, created great 
alarm in the rebel ranks. 

On the morning of the 20th of June General Moore 



172 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEV. 



engaged a body of the insurgents, eighteen hundred strong, 
near the Three Rocks, and routed them, after a severe 
conflict, with great slaughter. On the same day the differ- 
ent divisions of the insurgent army concentrated at Vinegar 
Hill, a very strong position, which they had held from the 
.beginning of the insurrection, and where they deemed 
themselves safe from the attack of any force which could be 
brought against them. This confidence was soon to be put 
to the test; for, on the evening of the 20th, his Majesty's 
forces, consisting of fifteen thousand men, under Lieutenant 
General Lake, were seen advancing in two directions, and 
taking position in four divisions, at some distance from the 
hill. The first division Avas commanded by General John- 
son, the second by General Dundas, the third by Sir James 
Duff, and the fourth by General Needham. The march of 
so formidable an army, so well dressed and armed, and with 
so extensive a train of artillery and baggage, carried terror 
and consternation to the hearts of the insurgents, through- 
out the country. On the 19th the people of Wexford 
learned that the English forces were arriving, and marching 
for Vinegar Hill. The intelligence created the greatest 
consternation. Women were seen running through tho 
streets, pale and trembling. Groups of rebels were seen 
collected in various parts of the town, cursing, and stamp- 
ing the ground with rage. 

Word was circulated, the same evening, that every pris- 
oner in their power was to be executed the next day. Thia 
heart-rending intelligence threw a deeper gloom over the 
whole city. Even Catholics, now fearful of the issue, 
shuddered at the thought, lest a terrible vengeance might 
be taken on them; while many a wife, daughter, parent, or 
sister of the prisoners, sat in silent sorrow, through the 
dreadful night; or bewailing, in tearful anguish, the ap- 
proaching fate of their dearest friends. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



173 



CHAPTER XV. 

Morning of the 20th of June — Murdering band assembled by 
Dixon — Black flag — Massacre on the bridge — Inhumanity of Popish 
bishop — Murder of Mr. Gurley's brother and brother-in-law — Mr. 
Gurley led out to be piked — He comes to murdering band — His 
feelings — How rescued from death — He returns to prison — Nar- 
rowly escapes again — Rebukes a rebel officer — Affecting scene in 
cell — Close of murders on bridge. 

On the morning of the memorable 20th of June, in 
Wexford, all was terror and consternation. The town bell 
rang an alarm, and the drums beat to arms. This was to 
assemble the rebel forces to go out and attack the ap- 
proaching army. 

Thomas Dixon, rebel captain, rode to the jail door, and 
swore that not a prisoner should be alive at sunset. He 
then rode into the street, repeating the same, with horrid 
imprecations, saying that not a soul should be left to tell 
the tale ! 

The place selected for the tragic scene was the bridge of 
Wexford. This was erected three years previous, and was 
a noble specimen of architecture. It crossed the Slaney on 
a road leading northward from the city. It was remarkable 
for its length and beauty, being fifteen hundred and fifty- 
nine feet long, with a portcullis, and thirty feet wide, with 
a toll house at each end. On each side were footways, 
ornamented with Chinese railing, supported by strong bars. 
It was not covered ; but there were two recesses, with roofs, 
as places of rest and shelter from sudden showers. It was 
a place admirably adapted to the purpose: the populace 
could be kept at a distance ; the blood, instead of flowing 
through the streets, as in Paris, on "St. Bartholomew's 
day," could drip through the slippery planks; while the 
stream below would bear away on its crimson tide the 
15* 



174 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



expiring bodies of the martyrs, and thus save their execu- 
tioners the trouble of a burial. 

In the afternoon Dixon made all arrangements to execute 
his threat. He assembled the murdering band, and hoisted 
the black flag, the choice ensign for their black atrocities. 
The flag had painted on one side a bloody cross; on the 
other, in large capitals, were "M. W. S.," the initials of 
"murder without sin," signifying that it was no sin to 
murder Protestants. What a sad sight it must have been 
to such prisoners as knew the import of the letters. After 
parading some time, to attract attention and give more 
solemnity to the scene, they entered the jail yard, and 
ordered out a parcel of prisoners. The poor fellows came 
trembling from their cells ; some pale and weeping. Some 
fell on their knees, and implored mercy at their hands ; but 
all in vain. They were conducted, under a strong guard, 
to the bridge, and piked to death in the most cruel manner, 
and their bodies thrown, some only half dead, into the river. 

Rev. George ^Taylor says, "While this was going on, a 
rebel captain, being shocked at the cries of the victims, ran 
to the Popish bishop, who was then drinking wine with the 
utmost composure, after his dinner, and, knowing that he 
could stop the massacre sooner than any other person, 
entreated of him, 'for the mercy of Jesus,' to come and 
save the prisoners. He, in a very unconcerned manner, 
replied that it was no affair of his, and requested that the 
captain would sit down and take a glass with him, adding 
that the people should be gratified. The captain refused 
the bishop's invitation, and, filled with abhorrence and dis- 
tress of mind, walked silently away." 

In a printed circular this prelate stoutly denied the above 
charge brought against him. He alledged that no such man 
called for his interference, and that, consequently, he did not 
make the inhuman and ungracious reply above-mentioned. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



175 



A denial of the charge, if true, would not be strange, when 
to have confessed to it would perhaps have endangered his 
head ; but as the report seems not to be fully supported by 
evidence, it would not seem fair to insist on its truth with 
certainty. This concession, however, it must be seen, re- 
lieves but little the character of this ecclesiastic; for, ac- 
cording to his own confession, he was in the city all of that 
eventful day, as the spiritual head and chief shepherd of 
the Roman Catholic Church in that city; he could not be 
ignorant of, or uninterested in, the sanguinary movements 
of his people. He must have known, what every man, 
woman, and child there knew, of the threat to murder the 
prisoners. His residence was in sight of the jail ; and the 
drum-beat, which marshaled the murdering band, must 
have been distinctly heard at his dwelling. Yet there he 
sat, in quiet repose, without attempting to arrest the dreadful 
proceedings. His word would have turned the scales. The 
guilt which attaches with certainty to him, therefore, is pre- 
cisely this : he permitted his flock to murder, in cold blood, 
their unoffending fellow-citizens, without sympathizing with 
the sufferers, or attempting to stop the sanguinary work. 

All this time the unrelenting rebels were butchering the 
poor Protestants on the bridge. Among these were Mr. 
Gurley's brother, (Jonas,) and brother-in-law, (John Smith.) 

"In regard to my brother Jonas," says Mr. G., "and my 
brother-in-law, I did not see them on the day of their mas- 
sacre. What I now write I had from a Mrs. Burn, a 
member of my class at the time, and who saw Jonas when 
he was taken on the bridge. She said that when Jonas 
came on the bridge, with several others, they took off his 
coat and shirt, and then whipped him with iron nail rods for 
a long time, the flesh flying off at every stroke ; then four 
of the pikemen began to stab him with their pikes, in the 
legs, thighs, cheeks, and arms, and when falling, held him 



1*70 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLTAM GURLEY. 

up with their pikes ; then, after they had fully glutted their 
savage fury, the four darted their pikes into his body, lifted 
him up, and, carrying him to the portcullis of the bridge, 
pitched him over. It was flood tide ; so he was carried up 
the river. Poor fellow! he was horribly mangled. As to 
John Smith, she did not give me so particular an account : 
she said, however, that they piked him for some time, and 
as they were piking and pushing him along to the portcullis, 
she saw him tread on his own bowels. They threw him into 
the river. How dreadful must have been their sufferings ! 

"I shudder, even now, at the thought of the awful death 
I escaped. I was told Jonas was offered his life if he would 
have a priest to baptize him, and would take mass ; but he 
would not : he knew too well their treachery to trust them ; 
for had he complied, they would have thought him only the 
better fitted to die. Smith was a very tender-hearted man. I 
remember that, having once slightly wounded himself, he 
fainted at the sight of his own blood. What, then, must 
have been his feelings in this dreadful conflict!" 

Several times did the murdering band get a fresh supply 
of prisoners: some from the prison-ship, where several 
were confined ; others from the market-house. While they 
were murdering one party, priest Roach, the general, rode 
up in great haste, and bade them beat to arms, for that 
Vinegar Hill was nearly surrounded by the King's troops, 
and that all should repair to camp. 

This had for the time a wonderful effect, for they in- 
stantly closed the bloody scene, and ran away in all direc- 
tions, leaving several prisoners on their knees, who were so 
stupefied with terror that they remained in that position 
some time, without making any effort to escape. But 
Dixon, the monster, soon returned, and ordered out more 
victims from the market-house and prison. The time had 
now arrived to try the faith of Mr. Gurley ; he had been 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 177 

expecting it daily. He collected his thoughts, and tried to 
realize the scene. For a moment " a horror, of great dark- 
ness, fell on him, and the hair of his flesh stood up ;" but 
that precious promise, "Lo, I am with you, even to the 
end," rushed upon his soul, as if announced by a voice 
from heaven, and in an instant, every particle of fear was 
gone, and joy filled his soul. A part of his companions 
had already been taken out and executed, among whom was 
Mr. William Clark, before mentioned. 

At first some of the leading rebels of the guard entered 
the cell, and held a kind of mock trial or investigation, that 
they might know who should be put to death, or, rather, 
who should die first ; for it had been published that not one 
should live to tell the tale. 

Referring to this in his manuscript, Mr. Gurley says : 
"There was a man, to tell who was who: this was a Mr. 
Pendergast, a man I dreaded most of all men in the place, 
because he knew I was about commencing a suit in chancery 
against his father, for the recovery of some real estate. Still, 
I was quite composed ; and well do I recollect how strong 
and cheering were the promises of God to me : ' No weapon 
formed against thee shall prosper. Pendergast was rebel 
captain of the ward in which I resided. 'What fellow is 
this?' said the rebel leader of the party. Pendergast re- 
plied, 'It is William Gurley, the silversmith.' 'What sort 
of a fellow is he?' 'A civil, harmless man.' 'What have 
you against him?' 'Nothing, only he is a heretic, and goes 
to hear the swaddlers.' [Methodists.] 'But is he not an 
Orangeman?' ' No, I am not,' said I. 'No,' said Pender- 
gast, ' he is not.' ' But,' said lie, ' you made silver medals 
for the Orangemen?' 'Yes,' said I, 'I have.' '0, that is 
of no consequence to our cause,' said Pendergast; 'let him 
go with these two English sailors standing in the aisle, for 
flie present.' 



178 



MEMOIR OP REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



" At that moment their eye caught sight of a person at the 
far end of the hall. They then ran from me to him, crying, 
* Blood ! blood ! we will have blood F and seizing the man, 
they took him away to be piked." Thus far Mr. Gurley 
escaped. 

During the afternoon, however, he had two more narrow 
escapes : " After Jonas and his company were piked, about 
three o'clock, B. Kearney, the rebel ordinary of the prison, 
came into my cell : we were engaged in prayer. He bade 
us all stand up. Soon eight armed men came in and passed 
us, eyeing us awfully; then they passed out into the aisle 
again. Soon one Murphy, .whom I knew well, returned to 
where we were all standing, and caught me by my neck- 
cloth, saying, ' Turn out, you heretic dog, to be piked.' 

" The sergeant of the guard stood at the cell door. 1 knew 
him also ; his name was Carty. In former days he was in 
comfortable circumstances ; but latterly, by gambling, he 
had become much reduced. I had often relieved him in 
distress ; and when he would biing his silver plate to me to 
pawn or sell, I used to give him as much for it as it would 
sell for when worked* anew. As I came to the door, I 
showed him Captain Kengh's protection, and asked if he 
would pay no regard to that ; but he waved his hand for 
me to pass on, saying I was a heretic, and not fit to live ; 
so I went out." 

Death now seemed inevitable. Mr. Gurley, with others, 
passed out till they came to the 1 murdering band.' This 
was a party of rebels; they stood in two rows to receive 
the prisoners as they came out. They were arnied with 
pikes, which were red with the blood of those they had 
just murdered. 

As Mr. Gurley was led toward them, they set up a shout : 
" 0 boys, here comes Gurley, the heretic. Pike him ! pike 
him! pike the heretic dog!" With the true spirit of a 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



179 



martyr, he heard his doom pronounced. " I felt, says he, 
"the moment the ruffian's hand was laid on my neck, the 
power of God come on my soul, and I was filled with unut- 
terable joy. I had no doubt but that in a few minutes I 
should 'be with Jesus in paradise*' " Nor did the sight of 
the murdering band, thirsting for his blood, interrupt this 
equanimity of mind, or shake the firmness of his soul. His 
eye quailed not as it met the revengeful glances of his foes. 
He gazed on their blood-streaming pikes, and their sable 
flag, with its dreadful initials, and as their malicious looks 
met his eye, and their fiendish yells for blood struck his 
ear, his emotions reached their crisis. His bosom heaved 
with the rushing tide of feelings which would no longer be 
restrained ; and in a clear, full tone of voice, he commenced 
singing the following hymn : 

" I'll praise my Maker while I've breath, 
And when my voice is lost in death 
• Praise shall employ my nobler powers; 

My days of praise shall ne'er be past, 
While life, or thought, or being last, 
Or immortality endures." 

Thus rejoicing, he walked out between their bloody ranks. 
The bitterness of death was past ; visions of eternal bliss 
were flitting before his imagination ; his glittering crown ap- 
peared in view ; and often has he been heard to say, " Never 
was I so happy in all my life." 0, what a blessing is true 
religion in a dying hour! Few, indeed, are called under 
such circumstances to test its value ; but the bed of death, 
whether of down or straw, whether surrounded by friends 
or strangers, in the cottage or the palace, is a gloomy scene 
without the hope of heaven. But with this, the Christian 
can lie down to die tranquilly as the weary pilgrim sinks to 
his evening slumbers, and glorious as the setting sun, whose 
parting beams illumine the world he has left behind him. 

The murdering band now proceeded to the market-house, 



180 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEV. 



from whence they took other prisoners ; and among them the 
Rev. George Taylor, before mentioned. These were conduct- 
ed with cursings and yells to the bloody bridge, already cov- 
ered with human gore. The prisoners, arranged in a row on 
their knees, awaited their miserable fate. Now the inhuman 
tortures again commenced. An eye-witness thus describes 
the scene and manner of torture : " Some they would per- 
forate in places not mortal, to prolong and increase their 
torture ; others they w r ould raise aloft on their pikes, and 
while the poor, friendless victim writhed in the extreme of 
agony, and his blood streamed down the handles of their 
pikes, they exulted round him with savage joy." Through 
a gracious interposition of Divine Providence, only six of 
this company of prisoners were murdered at this time. 

The manner in which they finally escaped is so graphically 
detailed by Rev. Mr. Taylor, who was one of the number, 
and agrees so entirely with the statement of Mr. Gurley, 
that we give it in his own words: 

" We were led out and marched to the bridge, two and 
two, guards before and behind, and on each side. They 
were teasing us on the way to ' bless' ourselves. The}^ 
w T ould shout through the streets, as we passed on, 'Why 
don't you say your prayers ? Bless yourselves before the 
devil gets you. You w T ill be in hell's flames in a few 
minutes.' 

" One of them came to me and asked me, ' Can you bless 
yourself ?' I replied, 'No ; but I can pray to God to bless 
me, and you can do no more.' 

"They would hardly let me go to the bridge, they so 
thirsted for my blood. When we arrived there we kneeled 
down, to commend our souls to God. They piked six in 
the most horrid manner, and threw them over the bridge. 
One man in his torture jumped into the river, where they 
shot him. While these were being tortured, I thought 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



181 



surely I would be one of the next, as there was only one 
between me and death, when the Lord appeared in our 
behalf, by sending Mr. Corrin, parish priest of Wexford, to 
rescue us. When he came to the place of execution, he 
exclaimed, ' 0, what is it you are doing ? desist from shed- 
ding innocent blood; there has been too much of that al- 
ready ; you have lost your cause, and for God's sake shed no 
more.' On which these inhuman monsters exclaimed, 'They 
are all bloody Orangemen ; we will pike them ; for this is 
the way they would serve us if they had us in their power. 

"Mr. Corrin then took off his hat, and entreated them to 
desist, but in vain. I thought he would not be able to 
prevail. When he saw their determination, he requested 
them to kneel down, and pray for the souls of the poor 
prisoners, before they would kill any more of them. They 
obeyed ; and when he had got them in the attitude of devo- 
tion, 'Now,' said he, 'pray that the Lord Jesus may give 
you to feel that mercy for them which you expect from 
him in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment.' 
They at length consented to spare us a while longer. He 
then led us away, and, as he was coming by me, I stood up 
and kissed his hand, saying, ' "Blessed are the merciful, for 
they shall obtain mercy." ' On our return we met that 
t} T rannical rebel, Thomas Dixon, who anxiously inquired 
why we were brought back. Mr. Corrin told him that he 
had begged us off for the present. Dixon was much dis- 
pleased with Mr. Corrin, and intimated that he would yet 
have satisfaction of every one of us." 

This unexpected rescue from the very jaws of death 
produced a strong revulsion in the hitherto calm and joyful 
mind of Mr. Gurley. There is a state of mind of which it 
is difficult, perhaps impossible, for the person to form an 
exact idea, who has not known it by experience ; and such 
as have experienced it are seldom permitted to enlighten us 

1G 



182 « MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

on the subject. It is that state in which the mind has 
settled into the full conviction that death is inevitable, 
and that, too, the next moment. This sensation has been 
realized by the convict on the gallows, or the deserter under 
the sentence of martial law. The latter, for instance, sits 
upon his coffin. He sees the file of soldiers, a few paces 
distant. Their deadly muskets are presented. He hears 
the words, "Ready — aim;" but, instead of "Fire!" the 
word pronounced is "Pardon!" Yet, to proclaim pardon 
then were scarce a mercy, if the condemned were but pre- 
pared for heaven. All the mental suffering or conscious 
misery is already experienced. The bitterness of death is 
past. Some have so reached the point of absolute surren- 
der to death, that it would seem that the will had the power 
to dismiss the spirit. Certain it is that some die instantly 
at the word "pardoned," as if shot through the heart. Mr. 
Gurley's feelings did not reach that point precisely, but the 
degree preceding it. Hope had surrendered its throne. 
Certain death appeared to be at hand, and a moment more 
his flesh should quiver on the points of steel. The spirit 
was moving in "the direction of eternity," with rapid speed. 
A thread only held it, when suddenly the force which 
impelled it onward ceased to operate. It was a sudden 
stop — a strong jar — a powerful revulsion, affecting, most 
remarkably, his whole frame, as the love of life awoke in his 
bosom, and hope resumed its empire, and consciousness 
exclaimed, "I may live." 

Almost unconscious of what he did, he sat down on a 
stone, in the hall or aisle of the prison, fully exposed to the 
view of the murderers, should they again return. He 
remarks : " I had sat on the stone in the hall about half an 
hour, when a corporal of the prison guard came to me, and 
said, 'Mr. Gurley, you are not safe here. There is no order 
or subordination among us, and, if you sit here, you will be 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



183 



hurried off and piked yet, as has been the case with your 
brother Jonas and your brother-in-law.' He then led me 
to a far-off cell, in one of the wings of the prison, where 
seven or eight young men, who had been acquitted, were 
put, for safety. Thus was the Lord good to me, in softening 
the hearts of some of those bloody tyrants. When I got 
to my new cell I found the young men were Protestants. 
In this cell there was one standing bed. 

" About six o'clock, as I was sitting in the cell wrapped in 
contemplation — and sitting, as I may say, calm on tumult's 
wheel, all peace within — when suddenly our cell door was 
thrown open; six or seven armed men rushed in, vocifer- 
ating, ' Is Jack Carty, the painter, here ?' ' No,' said one ; 
'no,' said another. '0, if you have hid him, and we find 
him, we will not leave one of you alive ;' at the same mo- 
ment they darted their pikes into the bed to see if he was 
there. ' What fellow is that, with his head down, there ?' 
said they. I was sitting on a block of wood with my head 
on my hands. ' Hold up your head, you sir, there. O, 

Gurley, the d d heretic swaddler; let us pike him.' So 

they caught me by the arm and pulled me with them, to 
be murdered. But some of the young men ran after us, 
and told them that an officer had put me in their cell for 
safety. At this the man who had me by the collar let me 

go, giving me a push and kick, saying, ' Begone, you d- d 

swaddling dog.' So off they went, and I returned to the 
young men's cell. About an hour after, as I was looking 
out of the small window, I saw a woman walking as fast as 
she could, with one child on her back, another in her arms, 
and a tin pail in her hand. She seemed to be in a great 
fright; another was running, and appeared as if frantic, 
wringing her hands and crying. 'Ha! ha! my lads,' said 
I, 'look here; our friends are coming to our relief. See 
what a terror the Papists are in.' 



184 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



"In a few minutes Dick Monk, a rebel officer, came into 
the prison to take an account of all the prisoners left. I 
was called out by the jailer into the hall. When Monk 
saw me, he exclaimed, 'Why, Mr. Gurley ! of all men in 
the country, what did they put you here for?' 'Why not 
me,' said I, ' as well as all other heretics ? Dick, where is 
my brother Jonas and John Smith ? 0, you have murdered 
them! Ah, you will get it for this day's work.' Some 
standing by checked me for speaking so plainly to him. I 
replied, * I care not a pin what they do ; they can only kill 
the body ; the soul is out of the reach of their cruel power.' 
Monk, who a short time before would have punished such 
an insult with death on the spot, now received the rebuke 
in silence. He knew the tables were about to be turned, 
and that he would soon be in the hands of the Loyalists ; 
and he feared for his own head. 

"After Monk dismissed me," continues Mr. Gurley, "I 
returned to the cell. It was now dusk. 'Well, boys,' said 
I, ' I will go and see who in my cell is murdered, and how 
the living are.' But, 0, my soul ! when I went in and said, 
'Who have we alive here?' — they all supposed I had been 
piked — they ran to me and kissed my cheeks and forehead, 
and clung around me, crying, with almost frantic joy, ' Are 
you alive? are you alive?' 'Yes,' said I, 'I am flesh and 
bones yet.' You cannot conceive, nor I describe, my feel- 
ings; there was a mixture of joy, love, and gratitude to 
God. Fortunately, but one had been taken and murdered 
after I left." 

The massacre on the bridge was beheld by crowds of 
people, both Catholics and Protestants, whom affection or 
curiosity had drawn together. The wives and daughters 
of many of the sufferers were there, but were not allowed 
by the guard to approach or take a last farewell. The 
dying groans of the martyrs were mingled with the wail of 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. .185 

sorrowful hearts on the banks of the river ; while some, as 
they beheld the bleeding forms of husbands and fathers 
thrown headlong from the bridge, fell fainting in the arms 
of their neighbors, and were borne senseless to their sad 
and desolate homes. Mrs. Gurley did not venture to the 
bridge. She was told, however, by some of her acquaint- 
ances, that her husband and his brothers were murdered; 
but she could get no certain account, and thus spent the 
night in the most gloomy and awful suspense. 

As the day closed the Papist inhabitants were in the 
greatest alarm. Fragments of their army, defeated that 
morning by General Moore, came into the town breath- 
ing threats of revenge ; and word was generally circulated 
that on the next day every Protestant — man, woman, and 
child — in the city should be put to death. 

It is almost incredible that such barbarous cruelties could 
be perpetrated by men professing to be patriots and Chris- 
tians ; but they are sustained by indubitable testimony, and 
in his manuscript Mr. Gurley says: "As I was living in the 
midst of all the passing events, I remember all I write to 
you as positive facts." . 

At length the gloomy day, during which, it is said, "the 
sun did not so much as glimmer through the frowning 
heavens," wore slowly away, and Night threw her dark 
mantle once more over the guilty earth. Ninety-seven 
unoffending citizens, who hailed the rising sun, had met 
their cruel fate. Their bodies, bruised and mangled, were 
sleeping in the bosom of the unconscious waters, but their 
spirits had passed away into the presence of their Creator; 
and heaven's recording angel made another dark entry 
against depraved and sinful man. 



16* 



186 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Battle of Vinegar Hill — Defeat of the insurgents — Danger of 
prisoners at Wexford — Rebel authorities offer to capitulate — Cor- 
respondence of leaders — Insurgents evacuate the city — Mr. Gurley 
and others during the night preceding the battle — Prayer meeting 
all night — Prison shaken by artillery in the morning — King's 
troops enter the town — Prison doors opened — Transports of prison- 
ers and friends — Meeting at Mr. Gurley's house — Mr. G. seeks the 
dead bodies of his friends — Temporal circumstances — He goes to 
Dublin for goods. 

While these tragical events were occurring in Wexford, 
the King's troops, fifteen thousand in number, were taking 
positions around Vinegar Hill, the last strong refuge of the 
concentrated forces of the insurgent army. 

This commanding position was strengthened by intrench- 
ments, over which thirteen cannon frowned defiance. The 
number of insurgents has been variously estimated at from 
twenty to thirty thousand. These were their best disci- 
plined and firmest men. Others had fallen or fled to their 
homes. 

A detachment of insurgents rushed down the hill, and 
made a sortie on General Johnson's division, which had 
encamped about a mile from its base. A slight skirmish 
only ensued, and the party returned speedily to camp. The 
morning of the 21st found the different columns surrounding 
the hill, impatient for battle. They hailed with cheerful 
music the rising sun; their polished bayonets and furbished 
arms glittered in the golden beams, while their unfurled 
banners floated proudly on the morning breeze. At half- 
past five o'clock a gun was fired from the right, and 
answered from the centre and left columns. This was the 
signal for a general attack. From elevated positions on the 
north and west the cannon of the English troops opened on 
the rebel camp. The town of Enniscorthy lay in the valley, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



187 



between the western division of the army and the hill. A 
part of this corps rushed down the hill into the town, which 
was filled with the insurgent soldiery. Here a fierce con- 
test ensued ; but the impetuosity of the King's troops was 
resistless. Their rapid tread seemed to make the earth 
* tremble beneath them. It was the fierce onset of deter- 
mined men ; in firm array, reckless alike of danger and 
death, they swept like a fierce torrent through the town, 
driving the astonished enemy before them in wild amaze- 
ment. The thunder of the loyal artillery was answered by 
the insurgents with a terrible fire from their intrenchments. 
The mount seemed to blaze like a volcano amid the rapid 
explosions of their guns. 

The rebel commanders knew that their fate, and the fate 
of their cause, hung on that battle; and they exhibited a 
martial courage and noble bearing worthy of a better cause. 
For an hour and three-quarters did the heavy ordnance of 
the besiegers vomit forth destruction upon their ranks. 
Grape-shot and balls rattled round them like a storm of 
hail, and every moment they saw their comrades sinking to 
the earth. Still these infatuated men, whose fate was 
sealed, rode round their terror-stricken lines, cheering their 
men by their presence, and animating them by their example. 

Covered by their artillery, the advancing columns of the 
besiegers opened a deadly fire of musketry, while the lines 
of the rebel camp blazed with one continued sheet of flame 
from their small arms. The roar of battle now rose all 
round the hill, and its summit seemed on fire. The heavens 
were darkened with ascending clouds of smoke and dust, 
the solid earth shook under the dreadful concussion, and 
the shouts of the warriors and the thunder of battle echoed 
and re-echoed from the distant hills. 

A favorable position having been gained, the loyal troops 
now planted their mortars, and a shower of bomb-shells 



188 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



began to fall on the dark masses of the insurgents. As 
the fatal shells exploded around them, scattering unlooked- 
for destruction in their ranks, they were filled with conster- 
nation and amazement ; and, as shell followed shell in quick 
succession, they held up their hands in utter despair, ex- 
claiming, " We can stand any thing but these guns which 
fire twice." Taking advantage of this panic, the centre 
column of the assailants charged up the hill like furies, and, 
marching straight forward on the solid columns of the 
rebels, poured their reserved fire directly in their faces, and 
then charged with their bayonets the staggering foe. Like 
some thundering avalanche loosened from its Alpine height, 
the insurgent hosts now gave way, and rolled down the 
southern side of the hill. Their deserted cannon were now 
turned on their flying squadrons, mowing down their re- 
treating ranks. 

The rebel standard, which had so long waved on the top 
of the old windmill, was now torn down, and the royal 
banners unfurled in its place. 

The routed hosts fled toward Wexford, leaving all their 
artillery and baggage in the hands of the victorious Lake. 
The flying army divided, some passing through Wexford, 
others through Gorey to the mountains on the borders of 
the county. 

Partly protected by their intrenchments, the insurgent 
loss was only five or six hundred ; the loss on the part of 
the King's troops, in killed and wounded, was less than one 
hundred. 

Filled with rage, and maddened with disappointment, the 
retreating insurgents crowded into Wexford, with priest 
Roach, their general, at their head. Here the Catholic 
authorities of the city held a council, to determine what 
was to be done in their present emergency. Some were 
for putting all the prisoners to death; some were for 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 189 

evacuating the town; while many were for fighting to 
the last. 

A detachment of the victorious army were already in 
motion under General Moore, and were now approaching 
the city. Priest Roach, rendered desperate by defeat, now 
evinced his total want of judgment, by urging his men to 
march out boldly and meet the advancing army, telling 
them that it was much more honorable to fight to the last. 
But their confidence in his ability as a general was shaken; 
and his efforts to lead them to certain destruction were fortu- 
nately vain. At five o'clock General Moore with his brigade 
arrived, and halted in the vicinity of the city. 

After due deliberation, the rebel authorities of the town 
liberated Lord Kingsborough and some other officers, who 
were prisoners, and sent them to General Moore, to propose 
a surrender on honorable terms. Kingsborough was accom- 
panied by two insurgent captains, who bore to the comman- 
der of the loyal troops the following terms of capitulation : 

"That Captain M'Manus shall proceed from Wexford 
toward Oulart, accompanied by Mr. E. Hay, appointed by 
the inhabitants of all religious persuasions, to inform the 
officers commanding the King's troops that they are ready 
to deliver up the town of Wexford, without opposition, lay 
down their arms, and return to their allegiance; provided 
that the protection of their persons and property are guar- 
antied by the commanding officer, and that they will use all 
the influence in their power to induce the people of the 
country at large to return to their allegiance, also. These 
terms we hope Captain M'Manus will be able to procure. 

" Signed, by order of the inhabitants of Wexford, 

"Matt. Keugh, Gov." 

These proposals were forwarded to General Lake, who 
returned the following answer : 

"Lieutenant General Lake cannot attend to any terms 



190 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



offered by rebels in arms against their sovereign; while 
they continue so, he must use the force intrusted to him 
with the utmost energy for their destruction. . . To 
the deluded multitude he promises pardon, on their deliver- 
ing into his hands their leaders, surrendering their arms, and 
returning with sincerity to their allegiance. 

" Signed, G. Lake. 

" Enniscorthy, 22d of June, 1798." 

As soon as this embassy was sent off, without waiting for 
a reply, the drums beat a retreat, and the insurgent forces 
left the town for the mountains. Before going, however, 
the Popish bishop came and requested all to kneel down 
till he would give them a parting benediction. This was 
done with due solemnity, and in half an hour not an armed 
insurgent could be seen in the city. 

Having traced the progress and results of the decisive 
battle of Vinegar Hill, let us now return to Mr. Gurley and 
his associates, whom we left, on the evening preceding the 
engagement, rejoicing that he was still alive. Mr. Gurley 
and other prisoners were satisfied that the King's troops 
must be at hand, but had great reason to apprehend that 
before they could fight a decisive battle, and come to their 
assistance, they would be put to death by the rebels, as was 
the case at the Sculaboge house and barn, during the bat- 
tle of Ross. At all events, they felt that the crisis had 
arrived; they believed this would be their last night in 
prison, and that the setting sun of another day would find 
them either enjoying the sweets of liberty or in the eternal 
world ; and judging the future by the past, the latter seemed 
by far the most probable. 

The critical hour was fully appreciated by Mr. Gurley, 
who thus refers to it : 

"At eight o'clock, as usual, we had public prayers: it 
was a good time, even better than ever. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



191 



"After prayer, my companions began to prepare the 
straw to sleep on, as usual. When I saw this, I said to 
them: 'Friends, formerly we went out and came in when 
we pleased — went to bed when we pleased and rose when 
we pleased; but I presume this is the last night we shall 
have in this world : let us not spend it in sleep, but in 
prayer ; as through mercy we have all been spared through 
this dreadful day, so let us watch and pray all this night, 
except father Atkins — let him go to rest.' [This was an 
aged man of seventy-two years ; but the blood of his youth 
seemed to beat anew in his veins. If the next day was to 
see him at home in the arms of his children, or in paradise, 
he scorned to sleep the precious hours away.] 'Indeed/ 
said the old man, ' I will not lie down, for I have as much 
need of prayer as the rest of you.' '0, very well,' said 
I, ' I have no objections;' so we were all agreed, and it was 
a night long to be remembered by us all. 

"I had a strong impression during our prayers that 
deliverance was at hand ; so we prayed and sang at intervals 
through the night — how often I do not now remember ; but 
this I recollect, that none fell asleep but a young man, six- 
teen years of age. Some one pointed him out to me. ' 0,' 
said I, ' let him sleep on ; he has had a hard day of it, as 
well as ourselves.' " Wearied Avith watching and prayer, the 
morning at length broke on their devotions. A clear sun 
darted his golden beams into the grated window of their 
cell, as if to remind them that God had not ceased to reign. 
The same sun was gilding with his radiance the bristling 
bayonets and flashing helmets of the impatient hosts round 
Vinegar Hill. 

Mr. Gurley continues: "Morning came at last; it was 
calm and clear. A Mr. Gill was standing by the window, 
when we felt the prison tremble, and a sound like distant 
thunder was heard. He called me to him, saying, 'Do 



192 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



you hear that ?' 'Yes,' said I, 'it was the report of a can- 
non.' In a moment there was another, and then a third, 
and soon there was one continued roar of distant artillery. 
J 0,' said I, 1 our friends have come to our aid, at last ; let us 
go and help them.' Several replied, ' Why, if you attempt 
to go out, you will be cut to pieces in a moment.' *• Come,' 
said I, - we will help them with our prayers.' 

"So down on our knees all fell; and if ever the Spirit of 
God did help me to pray, it was then. 

"I felt my soul to be very happy; I believe I continued 
in prayer above half an hour. 

"The roar of arms continued without intermission till 
half-past seven o'clock, when it ceased entirely. You may 
judge how anxious we were to know the result. We soon 
found the rebels were defeated." This must, indeed, have 
been to them most joyful intelligence: but that joy was 
tempered with some fearful apprehensions; for when the 
retreating insurgents reached Wexford, that day, many of 
them surrounded the prison, with the most fearful execra- 
tions and curses — demanding to be let in, that they might 
murder the prisoners. Their clamor was heard within, and 
preparations were instantly made by the inmates of the jail 
to defend themselves to the last, in case the attempt should 
be made. 

This, also, is referred to in the manuscript : 
" As soon as we had an idea that the rebels intended to 
enter and put us to death, before the army could arrive, we 
began to prepare to defend ourselves. We put all the beds 
we could find in different cells against the windows, to stop 
the balls; barricaded the door with every thing we could 
get ; and armed ourselves with iron bars, brickbats from the 
hearth, and loose stones, determined to fight to the last. 
Happily, the guards had the firmness to refuse the enraged 
rebels admittance, while the latter, as we have seen, had 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 193 

little time to parley, and enough to do to take care of them- 
selves. Finding that the rebels had fled from the town, 
General Moore dispatched Captain Boyd, of the Wexford 
cavalry, with a part of the brigade, to take possession of 
the garrison. The Captain and a few other officers rode up 
to the jail to see the prisoners, who hailed their approach, 
as the gates were thrown open, with tears of joy, and gave 
them three hearty cheers. Captain Boyd cautioned them 
not to leave the jail till the troops arrived, lest, being in 
ordinary dress, and not in uniform, and so many of them 
together, they might at a distance be mistaken for rebels, 
and shot at by the soldiers, as an accident of this kind had 
already occurred near Yinegar Hill. The greater portion, 
therefore, remained, though a few ventured out singly, and 
among these Mr. Gurley. He thus refers to this happy 
deliverance : 

" Between six and seven o'clock in the evening, Captain 

Boyd rode up to the jail, with the glad news that we were 

at liberty. Tears of joy gushed from every eye. 0, what 

a thing is life ! and yet what is it but a vapor ! 

' Our life is a dream, 
' Our time is a stream, 
• Gliding swiftly away.' 

" How soon it passes off and all is over ! 

" Finding the rebels had all quit the town, I went up to 
the far end of it, to see what had become of my wife. 
When I got near the west gate, I saw the 29th regiment 
just entering town, with several noblemen and gentlemen. 
The latter bade me go with them back to the prison, to see 
all set free. So I went with them ; but when we came to 
the jail yard, good mercy ! what joy was depicted in every 
face!" Rev. George Taylor, who was liberated at the same 
time, says: "I cannot describe the feelings of my soul, 
when news came in that the rebels had retreated ; that the 
17 



194 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



King's troops were coming into town; and that the English 
colors were hoisted at the quay. I could not paint the 
transports of those that were liberated. 

"There were the most delightful scenes, and the most 
feeling I ever saw : young women coming into prison, em- 
bracing their fathers, brothers, and friends, and all weeping 
together for joy. It could not but affect me, it appeared 
to be so solemn a time, so sacred and acceptable in the 
sight of the Lord. The army came in, opened our prison 
doors, and set us free. Now we tasted the sweets of free- 
dom, and we gave them a hearty cheer ; then went to the 
house of Mr. William Gurley, where a few of the most 
serious assembled and sung : 

' I'll praise ray Maker while I've breath.' " 

Before Mr. Gurley reached his house he was met by his 
wife, who, still uncertain of his fate, was on her way to the 
prison, to see whether he was dead or alive. We leave it 
for the reader to imagine the tenderness and joy of that 
meeting. 

The house of Mr. Gurley seems to have been the rallying 
point for the liberated disciples of Christ ; for scarcely had 
he reached home, when, as related in the above extract, 
Rev. Mr. Taylor, and several other prisoners and their friends 
followed him. 

After singing the hymn referred to, they engaged in a 
prayer of thanksgiving to that God who had wrought out 
for them so merciful a deliverance. 

The joy of Mr. Gurley in being once more safely seated 
in his own house, in the bosom of his own family, was 
mingled with sad and heart-rending thoughts. Many of 
his brethren in the Lord were slain. The dead bodies of 
his brother and brother-in-law were either floating on the 
troubled waters or rotting on the shore ; his goods and prop- 
erty were gone, and he was penniless; his "wife and child 



•MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



195 



were all that remained ; and as lie pressed them to his throb- 
bing bosom, he blessed that God who had preserved them 
while all else was taken, and felt that with them and God's 
blessing he could still be happy. 

What an imperishable treasure is true religion ! The ship 
freighted with treasure may sink ; the house filled with mer- 
chandise may be consumed by fire; but he who trusts in 
God has a fortune which no earthly disaster can assail, or 
time impair. 

The next day Mr. Gurley went to seek the remains of his 
murdered relatives. He observes : " Two days after my 
liberation I got two coffins made, and went to find the bodies 
of Jonas and Smith. A man showed me where they were 
buried in the sand; 'but,' said he, ' they are so mangled and 
putrid you can only put them into a coffin with a shovel, 
having been exposed to a hot sun for five days.' So I let 
them remain there for a time, and twice in twenty-four hours 
the sea washed over them. I there saw, partly in the 
water, the body of Mr. M'Daniels, the same that called on 
me so earnestly to pray for him in the jail. I had his body 
put in the coffin I took for my brother, and sent word to his 
wife, who sent and had him buried. 

" The strand was strewed all along with a vast number 
of dead bodies, which, from time to time, during the ' Reign 
of Terror,' had been thrown into the river. They were a 
sad sight to behold. I could not help saying to myself, 
' Surely, God will take vengeance on the authors and perpe- 
trators of these bloody deeds.' " 

Mr. Gurley had now to begin the world anew. His shop 
was a wreck, his tools many of them purloined, and his 
property gone. Availing himself, however, of such small 
resources as he could command, he went to Dublin, with 
a view of purchasing such articles as were indispensable for 
commencing business again. 



196 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



He reached Dublin in August ; and while there the French 
squadron, under General Humbert, landed at Killala, and a 
fresh effort was made to arouse the spirits of the United 
Irishmen once more to strike for victory and independ- 
ence — with what success will hereafter be seen. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



197 



• CHAPTER XVII. 

Proclamation of General Lake — Waning prospects of insur- 
gents — Leaders taken and executed — French troops land at Killa- 
la— Proclamations of French officers — Failure of French expedi- 
tion — Their surrender — Amusing address of the Mackamores — 
" The Emmets " — Close of Rebellion — Reflections. 

General Lake now issued a proclamation, for arresting 
all the leaders of the insurrection, but promising pardon to 
the deluded multitude, on condition of surrendering their 
arms and returning to their allegiance. The defeat at Vin- 
egar Hill had so dispirited the rebels, that most of them 
retired speedily to their homes, though very few, indeed, 
gave up their arms. 

Having traced, thus far, the fortunes of the insurgents, 
we will not dismiss them, in their waning glory, too uncere- 
moniously, but follow their broken and disordered hosts a 
little further. The routed army of Vinegar Hill separated 
into two divisions; and several severe engagements took 
place, after the evacuation of Wexford. Five thousand of 
their number were attacked, at a place called Killcomney, 
by two divisions of troops. The rebels made a desperate 
defense, but were at last overpowered, leaving one thousand 
of their number slaughtered on the field. The chief leaders 
of the insurgents still kept the field. One division of their 
forces was headed by General Priest Roach, Edward Fitz- 
gerald, and priest John Murphy; the other by General 
Perry, priest Kearns, and William Byrn. 

Perry, despairing of doing any thing further in the 
county of Wexford, now so strongly protected with victo- 
rious troops, passed over into the county of Killdare, hoping 
to penetrate to the north of Ireland. On the 11th of July 
he marched against Clonard, intending, if successful, from 
17* 



198 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM OURLEY. 



thence to pass northward, whence he expected large rein- 
forcements. 

Clonard was defended by a small body of yeomanry ; and 
such was the skill and spirit with which they fought, that 
they defended the place against the whole rebel force of 
four thousand men, who, after six hours' hard fighting, were 
put to flight, leaving two hundred and ten killed and 
wounded. Less than one hundred yeomanry gained this 
decisive victory. They fought chiefly from covert places, 
and from the upper stories of the buildings. The insurgent 
leaders yet clung, with the greatest tenacity, to the hope of 
success. Poorly supplied with food and ammunition, they 
still braved the dangers and hardships of the field, and 
occasionally gained some slight victories over then' pursuers ; 
but, chased from mountain to mountain, defeated in every 
place, after repeated and unsuccessful struggles to retrieve 
their fortunes, or reinforce their wasted ranks, they at length 
yielded, reluctantly, to uncontrollable necessity, and aban- 
doned the cause in utter despair. Each man now thought 
only of his own safety. Many, who fell into the hands of 
the royal troops, met with a hard fate. Others, tired of a 
rebellious life, returned to their homes, took the oath of 
allegiance, and received protection from government officers, 
and, as a writer remarks, "were thus metamorphosed into 
good and loyal subjects." 

Priest Kearns and General Perry fled to Kings county, 
where they were, after two or three days, taken, and, after 
a trial by court martial, were executed at Edenderry, on the 
21st of July. Edward Fitzgerald, with fourteen other rebel 
leaders, gave themselves up, on condition of being trans- 
ported, which accordingly took place. 

Thus, by the last of Juty, out of sixty thousand insur- 
gents, who were in arms in the early part of the insurrec- 
tion, there remained only a few scattered bands, in the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GrURLEY. 



199 



mountains of Wicklow, who, fearing to return home, contin- 
ued, as a sort of banditti, to infest the country. The county 
of Wexford was soon restored to a state of tranquility ; but 
nearly the whole population were in mourning. Many of 
the Protestants, who had been massacred, left desolate 
widows and helpless children to mourn their loss ; while 
thousands of the infatuated Papists, who were slain in 
battle, left families in the same condition. 

General Lake extended pardon to those who were guilty 
simply of rebellion, and who had not murdered in cold 
blood ; but upon the leaders of the insurrection, and those 
guilty of murdering defenseless Protestants, the penalties 
of the British code, and of martial law, were enforced with 
dreadful rigor. 

Priests of the Roman Catholic Church, who had instiga- 
ted their deluded flocks to rebellion, and led them on to 
blood and carnage, now reaped the just but sad harvest 
they had sown. The famous priest, Philip Roach, who had 
succeeded in deposing Harvy, and in getting himself elected 
Commander-in-chief, was arrested, and, after examination 
before a court martial, condemned to death. He was a 
large and corpulent man, and, as he fell, the rope broke; 
but a stronger one was substituted, and he was lanched 
into eternity, and, as is to be feared, with his crimes unfor- 
given on his head. His body was thrown into the river, 
where so many Protestants had breathed their last. 

B. B. Harvy fled to a small island, outside of Wexford 
harbor. He took with him provisions, spirits, and arms, 
designing to escape to France. His refuge, in the rocks, 
was discovered, and a party dispatched to arrest him, 
which was effected on the 27th of June. His trial com- 
menced the same day. He was much dejected, and greatly 
agitated, and scarcely spoke at all. It appeared, in evi- 
dence, that he had acted as Commander-in-chief at the 



200 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



battle of Ross ; and his letter, demanding the surrender of 
the town, was produced against him, and acknowledged to 
be his own handwriting. He attempted no further defense 
than extenuation. He declared that he accepted the com- 
mand to prevent much greater evils, which would have 
accrued, had it fallen into other hands. He had no coun- 
sel, and, after a trial which lasted eight hours, he was 
condemned, and was executed the next morning. Thus 
fell, a victim to his own rashness, a man of amiable dispo- 
sition and patriotic principles, possessing a fine estate and 
respectable talents. He was grandson to a distinguished 
clergyman of the Established Church. The fond hope he 
had entertained of Irish independence was blasted by the 
bigotry and narrow-sightedness of the Roman priests, unfor- 
tunately identified with the projected revolution, with 
whom he had confidentially associated his name and inter- 
est. He was, indeed, an unfortunate man. Degraded by 
those whose cruelties he tried to restrain — persecuted by 
the priests, to whom he had lent his influence — arrested 
and condemned by the government, against which he had 
rashly taken up arms — he was now compelled to meet the 
doom of the traitor and the culprit. But the hearts of 
true Irishmen commiserated his misfortunes, and humanity 
dropped a tear at his untimely end. 

Thomas Dixon, the rebel captain who conducted the 
murders on the bridge at Wexford, on the 20th of June, 
was the son of an innkeeper. He engaged in a seafaring 
life, and became master of a ship. He was one of the 
most sanguinary monsters that ever breathed. His acts of 
cruelty were bounded only by his power. He was noted 
for cruelty and cowardice, shunning the dangers of the 
field, but deliohtinof to revel in scenes of cold-blooded 
slaughter. Aware of the fate he deserved, he succeeded 
in making good his escape. Every effort was made to find 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



201 



him, but in vain. But his name is remembered with horror 
and detestation. There is a just tribunal, however, where 
his account must be rendered, and from its decisions there 
is no appeal. 

Matthew Keugh, rebel governor of Wexford, had once 
been a drummer in the army, and was advanced to the rank 
of Captain. He joined the rebels when Wexford was 
taken, and was elected governor of the city, which post he 
held till the insurgents evacuated the place. He was kind 
to Mr. Gurley, and furnished him a protection, at the time 
when Wexford was taken. He was found guilty, and 
executed. 

John Murphy, priest of Bolavogue, who was the first to 
call the Papists to arms in the county of Wexford, fought 
his last battle at Killcomney, where he was totally defeated. 
He fled from the battle, but was taken, and conducted to 
the headquarters of General Duff, where he was hanged, 
the same day, and his head was cut off and placed on the 
market- house. He was an obstinate bigot, a daring com- 
mander, a profound hypocrite, and an unmerciful wretch. 
He forsook the altar for the camp — confounded liberty with 
Popery. A professed minister of the Gospel of peace, he 
taught the extirpation of heretics as an article of his creed, 
and ranked the shedding of Protestant blood among the 
Christian virtues. The ignorant and deluded are to be 
pitied, and charity seeks a palliation of their crimes, and 
would fain throw a mantle over their revolting cruelties; 
but such men as he are to be execrated — the scourge of the 
earth — the desolaters of homes. The bolt of Heaven that 
strikes them down is a benefaction to mankind. The world 
is blessed at their departure, and good men breathe freer 
when they are gone. 

The expiring embers of rebellion would now have been 
totally extinguished, had it not been for the interposition of 



202 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



France. The French Directory quietly permitted the Irish, 
to whom they had made large promises, to prosecute, alone 
and unaided, their projected revolution; but now, when 
they saw the vast armies of the insurgents annihilated, and 
beheld their leaders arrested, and executed or imprisoned — . 
now, when the day of hope for the patriots had passed, 
they wake up to a sense of their great mistake, and, hoping, 
vainly, however, to atone for their negligence, and retrieve 
the fortunes of the day, dispatch in haste three frigates, and 
eleven hundred men, under command of General Humbert. 
Humbert landed his men at Killala, in the county of Mayo. 
This was designed as a vanguard to a much more formida- 
ble force, which was speedily to follow. On the 22d of 
August the troops landed, and the following proclamation 
was distributed amongst the people. It appears to have 
been prepared by Lieutenant General Killmain, perhaps in 
France. It breathes the spirit of the French Atheists. It 
evinces, on the part of its author, great ignorance of human 
nature, and of the religious circumstances and prejudices 
of the Irish people, to conciliate and draw to his standard 
a nation of Catholics, whose chief object was, the restora- 
tion of the "old holy religion," by a promise to "free 
them from the frauds of priestcraft," and the "grand 
impostor, the Pope," was surely an admirable exhibition of 
political sagacity. We subjoin the document, as a historical 
curiosity, and an illustration of Atheistic bombast and French 
gasconade : 

"HEALTH AND FRATERNITY TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND ! 

"The great nation has sent me to you, with a band of 
heroes, to deliver you from the hand of tyrants. Fly to 
our standard, and share with us the glory of subduing the 
world. We will teach you the art of war, and to despise 
the low pursuits of toil and industry. You shall live on 
the spoils of war, and the labors of others. The acquisi- 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



203 



tion of wealth is the acquisition of misery, and the enjoy- 
ment of ease is inglorious. We have made all the nations 
we have conquered happy, by arresting their property, by 
applying it to the common cause, and consecrating it to the 
champions of liberty. Property is a right belonging to the 
valor that seizes it. We have already destroyed the unas- 
piring tranquility of Switzerland, and the wealth, and the 
power, and the bigotry of Italy are no more. 

"If, then, the justice of France has thus extended its 
reforming vengeance to unoffending nations, consider with 
how much more rigor it shall visit you, if you shall slight 
its benignity ! 

" Fly to our standard, and we will free you from spiritual 
as well as temporal subjection. We will free you from the 
fetters of religion and the frauds of priestcraft. Religion 
is a bondage intolerable to free minds. We have banished 
it from our own country, and put down the grand impostor, 
the Pope, whose wealth we have sacrificed on the altar of 
reason. Fly to our standard, and we will break your connec- 
tion with England. We will save you from the mortification 
of seeing yourselves under an invidious government, and 
exalt you to the rank of those countries which now enjoy 
the benefits of French fraternity. Let not the ties of kin- 
dred, the seductions of ease, or any other unmanly attach- 
ment to the comforts of life, teach you to neglect this 
friendly call of your countryman and fellow-citizen, 

" Killmain, Lieutenant General." 

It appears that General Killmain did not land with the 
French troops, but forwarded the proclamation by General 
Humbert. 

It is probable that the latter perceived that this address 
was not likely to accomplish the object at which it aimed, 
and therefore wrote one on the spot, to counteract its 
dangerous insinuations and principles, and to win the Irish 



204 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 



to the French standard. This was a much more appropriate 
document, and well adapted to rouse and conciliate the Irish. 
It was as follows : 

" LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY, UNION. 

"Irishmen, you have not forgotten Bantry Bay. You 
know what efforts France has made to assist you. Her 
affection for you, her desire for avenging your wrongs, and 
insuring your independence, can never be impaired. 

"After several unsuccessful attempts, behold Frenchmen 
arrived amongst you. 

"They come to support your courage, to share your 
dangers, to join their arms, and to mix their blood with 
yours, in the sacred cause of liberty. 

"Brave Irishmen, our cause is common. Like you, we 
abhor the avaricious and blood-thirsty policy of an oppressive 
government. Like you, we hold, as indefeasible, the right 
of all nations to liberty. Like you, we are persuaded that 
the peace of the world shall ever be troubled, as long as 
the British ministry is suffered to make, with impunity, a 
traffick of the industry, labor, and blood of the people. 

"But, exclusive of the same interests which unite us, we 
have powerful motives to love and defend you. Have we 
not been the pretext of the cruelty exercised against you 
by the cabinet of St. James ? The heart-felt interests you 
have shown, in the grand events of our Revolution, have 
they not been imputed to you as a crime ? Are not tor- 
tures and death continually hanging over such of you as 
are barely suspected of being our friends? Let us unite, 
then, and march to glory. 

" We swear the most inviolable respect for your property, 
your laws, and your religious opinions. Be free. Be mas- 
ters in your country. We look for no other conquest than 
that of your liberty — no other success than yours. 

"The moment for breaking your chains is arrived. Our 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



205 



triumphant troops are now flying to the extremities of the 
earth, to tear up the roots of the wealth and the tyranny of 
our enemies. That frightful colossus is moldering away, in 
every part. Can there be any Irishman base enough to 
separate himself, at such a happy juncture, from the 
grand interests of his country? If such there be, brave 
friends, let him be chased from the country he betrays, and 
let his property become the reward of those generous men 
who know how to fight and die. 

" Irishmen, recollect the late defeats which your enemies 
have experienced from the French. Recollect the plains of 
Honscoote, Toulon, Quiberon, and Ostend. Recollect Amer- 
ica, free from the moment she wished to be. 

" The contest between you and your oppressors cannot be 
long. Union — liberty — the Irish republic! such is our 
shout. Let us march. Our hearts are devoted to you. 
Our glory is in your happiness. 

" Health and fraternity. Humbert, General." 

This proclamation, with the actual presence of the French 
army, once more roused the expiring flame, and large num- 
bers of rebels collected in the counties of Killdare, West- 
meath, and Longford ; the shout of liberty once more rang 
out on the hills, but it received only a faint response from 
the country at large. Yet, in some places, the hope of 
success was so strong that the Catholics, true to their long- 
taught creed, gave public notice or orders for the murdering 
of Protestants. 

On the church door in Killashee, soon after the French 
landed, was posted the following notice : 

" TAKE NOTICE, 

"Heretical usurpers, that the brave slaves of this island 
will no longer live in bondage. The die is cast ; our deliv- 
erers are come; and the royal brute who held the iron rod 
of despotic tyranny is expiring. No longer shall one govern 

18 



206 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



four. The old holy religion shall be re-established in this 

house; and the earth shall no longer be burdened with 

bloody heretics, who, under the pretense of rebellion — which 

they themselves have raised — mean to massacre us. 

' The flower-de-luce and harp we "will display, 
While tyrant heretics shall molder into clay.' 

" REVENGE ! REVENGE ! REVENGE !" 

When Humbert landed at Killala, he surprised the 
Protestant bishop, whose palace was there, at his dinner. 
He took possession of the bishop's residence, and was as 
snugly quartered there as Napoleon in the Kremlin at 
Moscow. Humbert marched to Castlebar, where he met 
and defeated over two thousand English troops who were 
stationed there. Aware of the danger of an invading army, 
at so critical a juncture, on the soil of Ireland, Lord Corn- 
Avallis left Dublin, at the head of an army of twenty thou- 
sand men, and surrounding the French troops, they surren- 
dered, after some ineffectual resistance, to his Majesty's 
forces. Other ships from France came too late to be of any 
service to the cause of the revolutionists, and chiefly fell into 
the hands of the English. 

Thus did the late and feeble movement of the French 
Directory only expose their policy to the contempt and ridi- 
cule of the British, who were greatly delighted with their 
discomfiture and overthrow. Had Humbert landed in the 
height of the insurrection, it is hard to say what might 
have been the result ; as it was, it resembled a farce at the 
conclusion of a serious tragedy. 

The rebels who had been in the ranks in the county of 
Wexford, having taken the oath of allegiance, made no 
effort to revive the flame of revolution ; indeed, some of 
them, especially those known as the Mackamores, residing 
on the coast between Wexford and Gorey, professed to be 
quite loyal in their feelings. For, dining the time the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



207 



French were on the island, they met, and addressed the fol- 
lowing communication to Major Fitzgerald, requesting him 
to convey it to General Hunter, commander of the garrison 
in Wexford. 

The address is an amusing specimen of the volatility of 
the low Irish, and their love of "fight." It is given, as re- 
gards orthography and punctuation, as it came from the pen 
of those redoubtable champions — verbatim et literatim : 
"To the general Hunter or govenor of Waxford belonging 
to King George the third. 

"We the Macamore boys was in the turn out against the 
Orrange-men and to who your noble honour gave your most 
grasous pardon for we never desarved any other if we war 
let alone and being tould that the French was cumeing to 
take this counttry from his Royal Highness the King who 
we swore to fite for and in regard to our oath and to your 
lordships goodness in keeping the Orrange-men from killing 
us all weel fite till we die if your honour will give us leave 
and weel go in the front of the battle and we never ax to 
go in the back of the army your honour will send wid us 
and if we dont beat them weel never ax a bit to eat and as 
you gave us pardon and spoke to the King about us as the 
breggaddeer magar tould us and as we tould him weed 
never deceive your honour tho the black mob says weel 
turn out a bit again but weel shew them and the world if 
your honour will bid us that weel fite and wont run away 
from the best of them and if your honour will send down 
the magar that was wid us from your lordship afore or the 
honourable magar Curry or the Lord Sir James Fowler 
general of the middle lothin sogers in Waxford and let them 
lave word at Peppers castle and weel march into Waxford 
go where your honour bids us do any thing atal to fite for 
your honours and weel expect to hear from your honour 
what weel do or if your honour will order a signal to be 



208 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



made with a red flag weel draw up and march as good as 
any sogers and as far as one or two thoughsand good stout 
boys goes weel fite for your honour to the last man and 
weer sure all the Barneys ill do the same if you will give 
them leave. 

" Signed by the desire of all the parrishes in the 
Mackamores. O'Brien 

Walsh and 

"August 21th, 1798." Sullivan." 

This loyal proposal the British officer respectfully de- 
clined, deeming it rather uncertain whether they wished 
most a chance to fight the French, or to join their ranks, 
armed and equipped. 

At Dublin, as well as at Wexford, a number of the 
leading officers of the United Men were tried and executed ; 
amongst whom were Bacon, Esmond, John Shears, William 
Byrn, and John M'Can, Secretary to the Provincial Com- 
mittee of the province of Leinster. In Wexford the execu- 
tions went on with the most exemplary severity, until, in 
that place alone, not less than sixty-five were hanged. 

The practice of cutting off the heads of the condemned 
after they were dead, and putting them on the tops of posts 
and government houses, and then throwing their headless 
bodies to the sharks and fish, was resorted to by way of re- 
taliation for their own barbarous treatment of the Protes- 
tants; but such a course was revolting to humanity, and 
was certainly beneath the dignity of the British laws, and 
savored too much of savage ferocity to meet the approval 
of the enlightened and the humane. But, if ever men de- 
served death at the hands of an outraged government, the 
merciless priests and others, who had led the deluded 
multitudes to those acts of horrid cruelty which we have 
described, met from the hand of the executioner only the 
just desert of their dreadful crimes. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEV. 209 

The star of hope, for Ireland, had set ; yet its rays still 
lingered on the horizon. Two years after the suppression 
of the Rebellion, the hope of emancipating their country 
occupied the thoughts and fired the breasts of some of her 
noblest sons. Of these there was one, of whose name his 
countrymen will always be proud; one whose misfortunes 
and untimely end will long awaken the sympathies of Irish 
hearts : this was Robert Emmet. He was a young man of 
about twenty-three years of age, of noble birth and highly- 
respectable connections. He had witnessed the deep devo- 
tion to their country, and noble daring, of Fitzgerald and 
others, whose sad fate moved his sympathies. He knew 
the causes of Ireland's discontent were still unremoved, and 
he believed that there were yet many brave and ardent men 
ready to step forth in her defense ; but a master spirit was 
wanting, around whom to rally. After musing on the im- 
portant theme till his bosom glowed with an irrepressible 
flame, in a fatal hour Emmet resolved to become that 
master spirit himself. But, although the patriotic feelings 
and chivalrous ambition of the young nobleman were fine 
qualifications for deeds of military glory, and, under the 
direction of sound judgment and experience, might have led 
him to enviable distinction, yet he lacked the keen sagacity 
and cool, reflecting mind, requisite to so arduous a task, if, 
indeed, any mind was equal to its accomplishment. He 
perceived not the change which had taken place in the 
public mind — how there was gradually a conviction settling 
on all classes of the community, that the freedom of Ire- 
land was but an illusive dream. The Protestants, satisfied 
that a successful revolution would re-establish Papal domi- 
nation, preferred their present relation to such a change. 
The Catholics knew that their policy was detected by the 
loyal party, that their very name was hated, and that they 
would not, for an age at least, be sufficiently reconciled to 
18* . 



210 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



unite with each other in any great measure for the political 
redemption of their country; and, already warned of the 
vigilance and power of the government, they wisely con- 
sulted too much their own safety to take up arms again ; 
while the dissenters, as they had very little to hope for, 
whether the kingdom was governed by Popery or prelacy, 
looked on, at least, with a cautious neutrality, if not with 
sullen indifference — their fears, albeit, still counseling to 
dread most of all Catholic ascendency. To a cool and 
discerning mind, the state of the general feeling would 
have been obvious. Emmet had an inquiring mind ; but it 
was busy in inquiring for compatriots, with ability and 
prowess for joining in one more struggle for his country's 
freedom. Nor did he look wholly in vain : his fine talents, 
his eloquence, his chivalrous bearing, and, above all, his 
glowing enthusiasm, collected around him a club of asso- 
ciates, several of whom were men of no mean pretensions. 
To them he developed his plans, which they espoused with 
an ardor equal to his own. But it is well known that their 
plans were detected by the government, and, after a trial 
by a jury, he was condemned and executed. 

His bold and eloquent defense of his motives and de- 
signs, delivered in the presence of the court, just before 
sentence was pronounced upon him, has been read with 
interest by every American, and has been pronounced one 
of the most fearless, appropriate, and eloquent addresses 
ever made by man. His name is dear to Ireland, and will 
be held in honorable remembrance so long as history shall 
chronicle the story of her sufferings and struggles for free- 
dom. His elder brother, Thomas Addis Emmet, was one 
of the early patriots of the attempted revolution. He was 
a native of the city of Cork, and was born in the year 1165. 
He was an able and eloquent member of the Irish bar. He 
bore a conspicuous part in the first movements of the United 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



211 



Irishmen; but he was soon arrested by the government, 
and sent, for safe-keeping, to Fort George, in Scotland. 
There he was kept in confinement for three years. The 
manly frankness of his character, and honorable bearing, 
won the confidence of Governor Stewart, to whose charge 
he was committed; for, upon the bare assurance of his 
word, that he would make no effort to escape, he was per- 
mitted to walk at large when he pleased, for bathing or 
other exercise. Stewart would only say, as he opened to 
him the gate, "I trust, sir, to your honor." He might easily 
have escaped, but he scorned to purchase freedom, however 
desirable, at the expense of his honor. Soon after his lib- 
eration he came to the United States, bidding adieu for ever 
to his country, whose interests were interwoven with the 
best feelings of his heart. In the city of New York, it is 
generally known, he distinguished himself as an able lawyer 
and patriotic citizen, where he died, a few years since, hon- 
ored and respected by his fellow-citizens. 

Jackson, his associate in the insurrection, was less for- 
tunate. He was arrested by the government, and found 
guilty. But his proud spirit could not brook the disgrace 
of a public execution : it is said that he took arsenic, and 
fell dead upon the floor while the Lord Chief Justice was 
pronouncing his sentence. 

Thus have we traced to its termination that fierce and 
sanguinary struggle, in which the best and the worst of men 
were united — professedly for the same object, but in reality 
with widely different views ; some contending only for inde- 
pendence or Parliamentary reform, while others, and they 
the great majority, were plotting the re-establishment of 
Popery by law, and the massacre of the Protestant popu- 
lation. The amount of property destroyed by the burning 
of houses, churches, stores, etc., was immense, while the 
blood of forty thousand persons stained the soil of Ireland. 



212 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



The part taken by Catholic priests in this convulsion, 
affords matter of grave reflection for American citizens. A 
Church, whose bigotry and intolerance had led to such 
atrocious scenes of blood as those we have described, can- 
not be encouraged in any land with safety to its free insti- 
tutions, unless its creed and its spirit are changed. But 
the Church of Rome boasts that she is infallible; and if 
the day shall ever dawn on this republic when Romanism 
gains the ascendency in our political councils, then her 
spirit of bigotry, which, shorn of its strength, has been 
lurking in secrecy, shall come forth to kindle again the fires 
of persecution, and, like Sampson, to seize the pillars which 
support the temple of our liberty and rights, and bow them 
to the earth. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



213 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

Alarm at Wexford on landing of French troops — Mrs. Gurley 
goes to Dublin — Mr. Gurley concludes to remove to England — Re- 
ception at Liverpool — Meets Dr. Coke — Resolves on emigration to 
United States — Little son left in Ireland — Family reach New- 
York — Settle in Norwich, Connecticut — Methodism — Presbyte- 
rians — Anecdote. 

We have already stated that, soon after the suppression 
of the Rebellion in Wexford, Mr. Gurley went to Dublin to 
purchase stock for resuming his business again. Here he 
remained for some days at his brother-in-law's, Mr. James 
Beatty, a merchant in the city. While there, news of the 
arrival of the French at Killala, under General Humbert, 
reached Wexford. The inhabitants were greatly alarmed. 
Mr. Gurley thus refers to it : 

" I was not long in Dublin, when fifteen hundred French 
troops landed at Killala. The news of their arrival soon 
reached Wexford ; and as a burned child dreads the fire, so 
Mrs. Gurley, child, and servant girl, left the place and 
came to me in Dublin." 

They remained some weeks at her brother's, when, at 
length, yielding to the urgent desires of his wife, who 
dreaded some new calamity or outbreak, he concluded to 
remove to England. Accordingly, he arranged matters 
with that view, and in a short time set sail for England, 
where his family arrived in safety. 

The religious friends of Mr. Gurley in Liverpool hailed 
him as one from the dead, as they had been informed that 
he was murdered. He writes : 

"The morning after we reached Liverpool, there was, as 
I understood, a love-feast. An English local preacher, who 
loved me much, and was often at my house in Ireland, 
when speaking in the meeting referred to me, and with tears 



214 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



related to tlie assembly the dreadful death I had suffered. 
That night I attended church. At the close of the meeting, 
as I went up toward some friends that I saw, they drew 
back at first as if afraid. Soon they found out that I was 
flesh and bones yet ; and such shaking of hands and tears — 
0, it was an affecting time indeed !" 

Mr. Gurley and family remained in Liverpool over two 
years. He here became acquainted with Doctor Coke, who 
baptized his eldest daughter, Ann Clarissa, who was bqrn 
soon after their arrival in England. 

Two brothers of Mrs. Gurley had emigrated to the Uni- 
ted States. Through their favorable representations of the 
country, Mr. Gurley concluded to leave the old world, with 
its scenes of strife and blood, and seek an asylum in the 
new. It was not without some difficulty, being a mechanic, 
that he could pass the government authorities, appointed to 
examine all emigrants, and to prevent any tradesmen of 
any description from leaving England for America. These 
regulations of tyranny, however, he found means to evade. 
Accordingly, in the autumn of 1801, he embarked at Liv- 
erpool, and, after a passage of six weeks, reached New 
York without meeting with any disaster. 

Mr. Gurley kept a journal of the voyage in rhyme, 
which, for several years, was preserved in the family, and 
was sometimes read to preachers and other friends as a 
matter of entertainment. He never claimed for it any 
poetic merit. During the war of 1812, when obliged to 
fly from the Indians, it was buried with other papers and 
books, and was never recovered. It would have made a 
printed volume of considerable size. 

Six months before the family left England, Mrs. Gurley 
made a visit of some months to her father's, in Ireland. 
Here her third child was born — her first had died in Eng- 
land. This was a son, and was named for his grandfather, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM G URLEY. 215 

James Beatty. The unnatural and foolish practice of put- 
ting children out to nurse prevailed. A suitable one was 
procured, who came to the house and took the entire charge 
of the child ; and when it was six weeks old its mother left 
for England, intending, when it should be a year old, to 
return and relieve the nurse of her charge. 

As Mrs. Gurley embraced her parents, whom she most 
tenderly loved, and bade adieu to her native place, little 
did she think she was taking her last farewell of those dear 
parents, and that the rural village of Ballycannow, with its 
enchanting scenery, endeared by a thousand associations of 
childhood, were to meet her sight no more for ever. Still 
less did she think, as she paused by the waiting coach to 
give her babe a parting kiss, that she should see his face 
no more till she should meet him in the far-off wilds of 
Ohio, a youth of fifteen, or that she would see him stand 
up, as a minister of Christ, to preach the Gospel in regions 
as yet unreclaimed from the wild hand of nature, the abode 
only of prowling beasts and savage men. And yet, such 
was the fact. Mrs. Gurley never revisited her native land. 
When the babe was about six months old, Mr. Gurley had 
engaged his passage to America, He crossed the Channel 
to Ireland for little James, intending to bring his nurse 
and him over to England, and then send her back ; but the 
child had just taken the small-pox, and could not be re- 
moved. It was therefore decided that he should be brought 
up by his grand-parents and uncle, and, when old enough, 
be sent to America. 

Before leaving Europe, Mr. Gurley took the precaution 
to obtain testimonials of his standing from ministers and 
others. He also brought with him the latest "plan" on 
which his name was printed, according to the Wesleyan 
usage. On these recommendations he was received as a 
member and local preacher into the Methodist Episcopal 



216 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



Church in this country, and his license renewed annually, 
until ordained a deacon. 

After a brief residence in New London, he established 
himself in business in the town of Norwich, Connecticut, 
where he remained about ten years. 

Here his house became the resort of the heralds of the 
cross. He formed an acquaintance with several of the 
pioneers of Methodism in New England. 

A door was again opened to him to enter the traveling 
connection ; but he again declined. A rising family were 
now on his hands — his temporal resources quite limited. 
But the answer he gave was, " You have better men." But 
if he did not enter the itinerancy, itinerate he certainly did. 
He was constantly occupied in preaching on Sabbath, in 
various towns, for twenty miles round ; and in some places 
revivals followed his faithful labors. 

In Norwich the society of Methodists was not large ; yet, 
on Bean Hill, and at the Landing, there were some excellent 
families, amongst whom were the Hydes, Bentlys, and Grif- 
fins. But the "established order," who had from the be- 
ginning occupied the ground, held fast the community with 
the conscious dignity which long-established dominion gener- 
ally inspires. The Sulivans, Lathrops, and Strongs, were 
numerous and opulent, and sturdy adherents to the faith 
and order of their Pilgrim ancestors. 

They beheld with apparent indifference, yet not without 
some uneasy sensations, the leaven of Methodism at work 
in their midst: it is probable, they little dreamed that it 
would ever pervade so thoroughly as it now does that inter- 
esting portion of our Union. 

Of the family of Strongs, just mentioned, it would be 
curious to know how many of them have been parsons — 
certainly not a few — and they ranked among New England's 
most honorable clergy. Of one of them, I know not which, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



211 



Mr. Gurley often related the following anecdote, illustrative 
of olden times : 

"Parson Strong had a shoemaker in his parish, who, 
though he seldom or never attended his church, was assessed 
five dollars. As delinquent in payment as in attendance, he 
was at length waited on by the parson, who, not willing to 
collect by law until he had asked it, concluded to make a 
pastoral visit, and modestly present his claim. The shoe- 
maker heard the demand with well-feigned surprise, exclaim- 
ing, 'Why, sir, I never heard you preach in my life !' 'That 
is not my fault,' replied his reverence: 'my church was 
open to you, and you could have heard if you chose.* 
' True,' replied the now hopeful disciple, ' I did not think of 
that. Well, parson, I will call to-morrow and settle all de- 
mands.' 'O, very well, sir. Good afternoon, sir,' replied 
the minister, and, bowing politely, left the shop. True to 
his promise, the next day the parson was pleased to see the 
shoemaker at his hall door. 'I have come to settle with 
you, parson,' said he. ' 0, very well ; no hurry ; sit down. 
A glass of wine was offered and accepted ; after which the 
visitor took from under his arm his account-book, saying, 
'Well, parson, we will now compare accounts.' The parson 
looked a. little confused, but replied, 'I think you have 
nothing charged to me.' ' 0, yes,' said he, ' here is a charge 
of five dollars, for a pair of boots.' ' Boots ! boots !' said 
the astonished parson, ' surely there must be some mistake ; 
certainly, I never was in your shop till yesterday in my life.' 
' True enough ; but, sure, that was not my fault : my shop 
was open to you, as well as your church to me. The ac- 
counts, you see, exactly balance ; and of course you will be 
satisfied.' So saying, he made a low bow, and, bidding the 
astonished parson 'good evening,' retired." 

Whether the parson farther urged his claims, tradition 
docs not say; but it is certain, that the principle on which 
10 



218 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



the shoemaker settled the account has since been recognized 
as just, and the laws so changed that persons cannot be 
compelled to support a ministry whose service they do not 
choose to attend. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



219 



CHAPTER XIX. 

Mr. Gurley removes to Ohio — Journey — First log cabin — Great 
comet of 1812 — Arrival at fire-lands — First sermon — Class form- 
ed — Prairie on fire — First school — Bee-tree — New dwelling — 
Scenery — "War — Indian murders. 

In the fall of 1811 Mr. Gurley emigrated to Ohio, hav- 
ing purchased a hundred acres of land of his brother-in- 
law, Mr. John Beatty, of New London, who had also deter- 
mined on settling in the same state. Mr. Gurley supposed, 
as do most foreigners, that to own a farm is to be inde- 
pendent. He had scarcely the remotest idea of the state 
of things in the wild, unbroken forests of the west. Of the 
hardships, deprivations, and dangers at that time especially 
incident to a pioneer life, he knew nothing. He associated 
with the idea of a farm verdant lawns, blooming orchards, 
and fields of waving grain. True, he knew his land was 
uncultivated ; yet a little labor, and it would bud and blos- 
som as the rose. 

The spot to which his eye was directed was the "fire- 
lands," so called, now embracing the counties of Huron and 
Erie, in northern Ohio. He took with him a considerable 
portion of his tools, little thinking that twenty years almost 
must roll away before there could be much demand, in that 
wilderness, for silver plate and jewelry. 

Nor does it appear to have occurred to him, that the war 
of words then in progress between this country and Great 
Britain would soon terminate in a contest of blood ; that he 
was about to take a helpless family where a few hours 
might bring hundreds of savages to murder or take them 
captive : in a word, that he was going to leave a land of 
civilization, plenty, and peace, for a desert, exposed to hard- 
ships, dangers, and death. 

It was four o'clock in the afternoon of a pleasant day in 



t 



220 MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM GURLEY. 

September, when Mr. Gurley, his wife, and five children, 
entered the wagon, bound for the fire-lands. 

Kind neighbors surrounded them, and, shaking hands, 
bade them a long farewell. A full moon rode high in the 
heavens, and it was ten o'clock at night when the wagon 
stopped at a country inn, and the "movers" "put up" for 
the first night ; nor did Mr. Gurley omit, late as it was, to 
have family prayer before retiring to rest. This duty was 
faithfully attended to all the way to the west. The journey, 
although at a favorable season of the year, was tedious and 
difficult. 

From Albany westward the roads, in general, were 
exceedingly bad; and five axletrees were broken on the 
way. Over eight weeks were spent on the journey. Many 
miles of the way the sand beach of the lake was the road ; 
and in several places the teams were under the necessity of 
going out into the lake some distance, to get round bold 
rocks which projected into the water. In one instance 
the whole family narrowly escaped destruction, as a rising 
gale swept the waves over the bottom of the wagon, wetting 
the goods, and came well-nigh driving team and all on the 
rock, where they would inevitably have been dashed to 
pieces. The first "regular built" log cabin was a great 
curiosity to the "Irish." Its rude, bark-covered logs, clap- 
board door with wooden hinges, the stick-chimney, rough 
puncheon floor, and paper windows — in short, a comfortable 
habitation, constructed without a single nail — was an artisti- 
cal wonder they had long wished to behold. Their curiosity- 
was now fully gratified, with the additional reflection, that 
they would soon be where, for a long time, they would see 
no other kind of dwellings. All the way, as they journeyed, 
the great comet of 1812 hung its blazing banner on the 
western sky. Its long tail streamed on the illuminated 
heavens, and was an interesting and impressive sight. Every 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



221 



night its fiery banner swept above the horizon, as if portend- 
ing the scenes of blood which soon followed. 

It was late in October when the emigrants reached the 
fire-lands : the tall grass of the prairies had faded, and the 
autumnal winds had well-nigh stripped the forest of its 
gorgeous robe of gold and purple. 

From the mouth of the river Huron they proceeded, 
guided by a resident, who had met them, along the ridges, 
by a trail, then through the high grass, which rose above 
the horses' heads. 

The saucy squirrel chattered as they passed; the wild 
deer leaped up before them, and, throwing back his huge 
antlers, galloped away to some distant grove ; flocks of wild 
geese, preparing for their autumnal flight, swept in circles 
round their heads ; while here and there the crack of an 
Indian rifle told that these sons of the forest had not for- 
saken their old hunting-grounds. At length Mr. Gurley 
reached the destined place, a settlement of a few families, 
at a spot since called Bloomingville, seven miles south from 
Sandusky City. 

A small cabin, on the edge of a prairie, was obtained as 
the temporary residence of the family ; and, poor as it was, 
it was a welcome retreat and shelter to the weary emigrants. 

There is a peculiar freshness and novelty in a frontier 
life — an exquisite but inexpressible charm — as all who have 
been pioneers acknowledge. This, perhaps, is more espe- 
cially realized where a new country is diversified in its 
aspect, as was the fire-lands. Here were extended plains, 
dotted with intervening groves — winding streams, gliding 
through forests of heavy timber — lakes glittering in the 
sunbeams — bays, coves, and springs. Herds of fleet deer 
leaped over the waving grass, or, in spring, grazed on the 
tender herbage of the plains. Flocks of wild fowl covered 
by thousands the coves and ponds; wild bees sung amid 

19* 



222 



MEMOTFt OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY". 



the summer flowers, and builded their cells on high. Here 
Nature, in her wild luxuriance and unshorn glory, displayed 
unwonted charms, and the freshness of a new Eden seemed 
to bloom around the charmed and delighted adventurer. 
Anticipation, too, lends its enchantments to the scene, and 
clothes in the drapery of future improvements, and the 
embellishments of industry and art, the abodes of future 
generations. 

Mr. Gurley had enough of the romantic in his disposition 
to enjoy these scenes. He could admire what was beautiful 
or grand in nature, and, amid the freshness and novelty of 
a new country, he scarcely heeded its hardships and depri- 
vations. This was less so with the partner of his toils and 
cares. Unaccustomed to labor, and unused to the seclusion 
and deprivations of a country life, Mrs. Gurley felt very 
deeply the difference between her present and former situa- 
tion. With one thing, however, she was charmed: the 
cordial union and mutual friendship of the whole com- 
munity. All within ten miles were neighbors; visits and 
meetings for mutual assistance were kept up, notwith- 
standing their distance from each other. This feeling was 
the result of circumstances. They were far from the old 
settlements, and the endeared scenes and friends of other 
years. Mutual dependence, mutual hardships, and mutual 
dangers, bound them together. Nearly on a level in regard 
to their mode of living and apparent circumstances, envy, 
contention, and jealousy found but little foothold among 
them. A mutual affection and regard for each other's 
welfare sprang up, and brotherly kindness and charity 
sweetened with their fragrance the moral atmosphere. 

Great was the joy of the "settlers " when they heard that 
a preacher had arrived. There was at this time no minister 
of the Gospel within at least forty miles ; no sermon had 
been heard since the first emigrants reached the place. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



223 



The next Sabbath after Mr. Gurley arrived, the log school- 
house, but recently built, was well filled at the hour for wor- 
ship. It was "Indian summer." A rich, yellow sun threw 
his golden rays through the smoky atmosphere peculiar to 
that season of the year. The manner in which the audience 
were dressed, was striking enough to a stranger direct 
from "down east." The men were mostly dressed in tow 
shirts, linsey coats or hunting-shirts, and buckskin panta- 
loons; and moccasons instead of shoes were extensively 
worn. Here and there might be seen a vest of spotted 
fawn-skin, made with the fur out, reminding one of Robin- 
son Crusoe in his goat-skin costume. Caps, made of the 
skins of the racoon and muskrat, were worn instead of 
hats. These articles of dress were all of domestic manu- 
facture, and mostly clumsy and often uncouth in appearance. 
The costume of the ladies was not so remarkable, but was 
almost entirely home manufacture, except that of those 
who had recently arrived from the east. A few Indians, 
attracted by curiosity, were present, and sat with becoming 
gravity near the door during the services. They were in 
their hunting costume, with rifle, tomahawk, and knife. 

The scene was new to Mr. Gurley, and he felt an unusual 
inspiration, as he broke the bread of life to these scattered 
sheep in the wilderness. At the close of his sermon Mr. 
Gurley referred to his own experience, as was quite com- 
mon with the preachers of that day. He related the scenes 
of persecution through which Divine goodness had brought 
him in safety. He mentioned how his soul was sustained 
by the comforts of religion, as he was led out to be piked, 
and repeated the hymn he sung at the time; and how 
narrowly he had escaped, while so many were slaughtered. 
"And for what," said he, the tears starting in his eyes, 
"did God spare the poor worm? Was it that I might 
preach the Lord Jesus in these ends of the earth?" The 



224 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

assembly was deeply affected, and emotion was visible all 
through the house. 

Having dismissed the congregation, he requested those 
to remain who would unite in a class. The precise num- 
ber who at first joined is not recollected; but they soon 
amounted to fifteen or twenty in all. Some of these resided 
five or six miles distant. This was the first religious asso- 
ciation, of any kind, organized in the county, or on the 
Western Reserve west of Cleveland. Mount Vernon and 
Wooster were the nearest points where circuits were formed 
or itinerant ministers labored ; and it was about seven years 
before the society organized in that place was visited by an 
itinerant preacher, or connected with a circuit. 

The novelty, excitement, and pulpit labors of the day, 
had somewhat exhausted Mr. G., who had scarcely become 
rested after his tiresome journey, and, at an early hour, the 
family retired to rest. Toward midnight he was startled 
by a scream of terror from his wife. As he awoke, his ear 
caught a distant rumbling sound, like that of an approach- 
ing tempest, while the very earth seemed to tremble. 
Through every chink of the cottage, and through the small 
windows of oiled paper, a brilliant light gleamed. Starting 
from his bed, Mr. Gurley threw open the door, when, to 
his amazement and no small alarm, he saw it was the prairie 
on fire. The fire approached from the south — a fresh 
autumnal breeze from that direction had given it wings. It 
was a sight at once sublime, beautiful, and terrific. A 
column of fire, like an army in motion, extending its blazing 
lines for two miles, came rolling on its billows of flame. 
In three different places vans, or forward columns, were 
formed, which stretched out beyond or in advance of the 
line. The centre column was in advance of all; it swept 
through the dry grass like a whirlwind ; broad sheets of 
flame would rise, and, borne onward by the breeze, strike 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



225 



some distance before, while burning tufts of grass, carried 
upward and onward like blazing rockets, fell and kindled 
still further in advance; while all along the extended 
wings the flashing fire would crackle, and blaze, and 
leap, as if in furious onset. Huge volumes of smoke rose 
high in the heavens, and hung like a gloomy cloud of pitch 
over the trembling earth. The dry grass reached to the 
very walls of Mr. Gurley 's cottage, and its destruction 
seemed to him inevitable. A short distance from the 
dwelling ran a narrow creek. On its banks, directly in 
front of the van of the approaching fire, were visible the 
moving forms of three or four men; while, far over their 
heads, rolled the broad columns of smoke. The flash of a 
rifle, in the hands of one of them, was now distinctly seen, 
and the report echoed on the midnight air. In a few mo- 
ments, to the astonishment of Mr. Gurley, who by this time 
had roused the whole family for flight, there was seen ex- 
tending a line of fire along the bank of the stream, on the 
side next to the approaching conflagration. Prevented by 
the exertions of the men, who narrowly watched it, from 
crossing the creek, it soon spread southward to meet the 
coming line. This was called "fighting-fire," or "back- 
firing," and is resorted to, under such circumstances, with 
great dexterity, as the only means of securing hay, fences, 
etc. Soon this new line gathered strength in its progress, 
and now two columns of flame were rushing to meet each 
other as if eager for battle. The encountering billows met 
in fierce conflict, and, as if maddened by resistance, leaped, 
and flashed, and towered, and waved on high their fiery 
banners. Slowly as dies away the noise of battle, the roar 
of the elements ceased. The wings met, and towered, and 
fell, till, at length, afar off, the extreme flanks of the ex- 
piring lines alone remained to be seen, gilding with their 
fitful flashes the tops of the distant trees. Mr. Gurley and 



226 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



his family breathed more freely, as their safety became 
apparent; but the terrific impression of this first fire was 
often recalled, with great vividness, to his mind, even after 
the residence of many years in the country had made them 
familiar to his eye. 

It was but four miles from the residence of Mr. Gurley 
to the line of the Indian grounds. The Indians, therefore, 
were numerous. They still frequented then- old hunting- 
grounds on the fire-lands, alledging that, though the ground 
was the white man's, the game was the Indian's. "The 
deer are Indian cattle. We sold the land, not the cattle." 
Mr. Gurley had numerous trinkets, such as rings, gilt watch- 
chains, etc., which the Indians were eager to buy. By this 
means his table was well supplied with venison. A school- 
house had that fall been erected, by the enterprise of the 
settlers ; and a Mr. Bigsby, a young man of eighteen years, 
taught the first school in the county. Young Bigsby was a 
"down easter," and a good teacher. His government was 
rigorous and effective ; but as every thing in a new country 
is new, so the discipline of this first school was altogether 
novel, in its character. As usual with log cabins, a large 
hole, in the centre of the house, had been made, by taking 
up clay for the chimney and for "daubing" In this 
" dark hole " incorrigible offenders were put, and the punch- 
eon closed over them. This was rather a terrific place, 
especially in summer, when it was known that snakes, of 
different kinds, abounded in the vicinity, and might very 
naturally make the shelter of the house a hiding-place. A 
yellow rattlesnake, about eight feet in length, was killed, one 
morning, two rods from the door; no accident, however, 
occurred. The urchins had such a mortal hatred to the 
"black hole," that he was a bad scholar, indeed, who went 
there the second time. 

The winter wore pleasantly away. Mr. Gurley was 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



227 



employed in preparing logs for a house of his own, and 
nothing specially occurred worth relating. 

He had heard much of bee hunting. One morning, in 
February, having been told by his neighbor that it was a 
good "bee day," he took his little son, eight years old, 
by the hand, and, without very sanguine hopes of success, 
set out to find a "bee-tree." A bright, warm sun was 
reflected back, with dazzling lustre, from the fast-melting 
snow. With a tomahawk in hand, he proceeded to a ridge 
covered with forest trees, which extended into the prairie 
for a mile or more. After several hours of unsuccessful 
search, he turned to go home, when he discovered a bee, 
dead, on the white surface of the snow. This was a favor- 
able omen. Soon another, and then a third; and then, at 
the roots of a large black oak, were found the unmistakable 
evidences of a "swarm." The tree was marked, and, the 
next day, a few neighboring men volunteered to "take up 
the tree," as it was called. As the ax, with steady strokes, 
reached the heart of the tree, a few of its alarmed inhab- 
itants flew out, as if to ask the cause of the disturbance. 
When the tree fell, the hollow part of it, which was some 
six feet in length, split, by the concussion, directly in twain, 
dividing the richly-stored comb which filled the whole cav- 
ity. It was a beautiful sight. Honey, as pure as ever 
princes tasted, streamed from the white, broken cells. The 
unfortunate insects seemed to bear their calamity with 
becoming fortitude and apparent resignation. They flew 
around their dead and wounded companions, and gathered 
in clusters on fragments of their ruined habitation, making 
no effort at defense, nor manifesting any resentment, as they 
usually do when but slightly disturbed. Perhaps the same 
wonderful instinct which teaches these insects, at times, to 
fly boldly in the face of their assailants, now taught them 
that the catastrophe was too great to admit of remedy or 



228 



MEMOIR OF REV. "WILLIAM CURLEY. 



hope ; and the promptings of self-preservation gave way to 
the resignation of despair. A barrel was half filled with 
the avails of this tree. This was a very seasonable supply, 
affording abundant sweetening for the corn cakes and pud- 
dings of the "raising" and "mauling" frolics, which were 
close at hand. 

Before, spring had thrown its green robe over the prairies 
Mr. G-urley had erected his house, one mile eastwardly from 
the present village of Bloomingville. It was sixteen by 
twenty feet— a story and a half high. As soon as the 
puncheon floor was laid, and the walls " chinked," the family 
took possession. The scenery around the dwelling was 
indeed beautiful. In front and on the right was a natural 
orchard of burr oak and hickory. So clean had the ground 
been kept, by the annual fires, that scarce a shrub or bush 
grew between the trees. On the rear and southwardly there 
stretched away, for miles, a level prairie, interspersed, here 
and there, with small groves of timber. Not far from the 
garden was a pond of fresh water, where wild fowl descend- 
ed to rest their weary wing ; and their glossy feathers often 
glistened in the rising sun. Just before the door, little more 
than their own length distant, two majestic oaks rose, 
spreading wide their giant arms, and throwing their large 
and grateful shadows on the green sward beneath. If the 
quality of the soil had been equal to the beauty of the site, 
it would have been a most desirable residence ; this, how- 
ever, was not the case. It was subsequently exchanged by 
Mr. Gurley for a more suitable farm; and to this day, after 
the lapse of more than thirty years, it is but little im- 
proved. 

While here an event occurred, which called up afresh the 
recollection of his persecutions and dangers in Ireland — an 
event which showed, however, that, if he had carried to the 
retirement of the wilderness a keen remembrance of the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 229 

wrongs he suffered, he cherished no unchristian hate to 
the people whose bigotry thirsted for his blood. At the 
close of a summer day, as the evening dew was beginning 
to settle on the high grass of the prairie, a man was seen 
riding leisurely up to the cabin. He wore a long, black 
coat and a white cravat. His face wore a serious aspect, 
and he appeared wearied with his journey. As he rode up 
to the door Mrs. Gurley went out, her husband being absent 
at the time. The traveler inquired if he could find enter- 
tainment for the night. "We turn no one away," said Mrs. 
G. ; "and you are welcome to such accommodations as our 
house will afford." A smile of gratification gleamed on the 
face of the traveler, as he alighted ; and, after tying the 
fore feet of his jaded horse together, so as to prevent him 
from wandering too far, he turned him on the prairie to 
feed. From the first glance Mrs. Gurley conceived the idea 
that her guest was a preacher; and, from his looks, she 
hoped he might be a Methodist. He took from his saddle- 
bags a cake of chocolate, and, handing it to Mrs. Gurley, 
requested her to prepare some of it for his supper. 

"You have not been long in this country, I presume?" 
said the stranger. 

"No," replied Mrs. G. "We came from Connecticut 
last fall." 

" I should not take you to be a native of New England." 

"You are right, sir. We are from Ireland." 

" From Ireland !" repeated the stranger, with apparent 
interest. "And, pray, what could have induced you to 
leave your native land and friends for these ends of the 
earth?" 

"We came here," replied Mrs. G., "to escape persecu- 
tion from the Roman Catholics." She then briefly men- 
tioned the events of June, 1*798, and the narrow escape of 
Mr. Gurley. 

20 



230 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



The stranger evinced increased emotion, as she proceeded, 
which, as she concluded, he walked to the door to conceal. 

"And now," said Mrs. G., "having told you who we 
are, allow me to ask if you are not a clergyman?" 

"I am, madam." 

"I thought so; but are you not a Methodist?" 
The stranger smiled, and shook his head. 
"An Episcopalian?" 
"No." 

"A Presbyterian?" 

"I will tell you," said he, "after supper." 

As they sat down to supper Mr. Gurley entered, and was 
introduced to the traveler. When the meal was concluded 
the stranger turned to Mrs. Gurley, and said, "Now I will 
inform you who I am, if you will promise not to turn me out 
of doors," glancing his eye, at the same time, toward Mr. 
Gurley. "We shall not do that," said Mr. G., "you may 
rest assured, whoever you may be." The stranger then rose, 
and taking from his portmanteau a book, presented it to 
Mrs. G., saying, "This, madam, will answer your question." 
Mrs. G. glanced over the book hastily, and, coloring deeply, 
handed it to her husband; then, looking seriously at her 
guest, she exclaimed, in a subdued tone of voice, "Is it 
possible that you are a Roman priest?" A constrained 
smile, and a gentle inclination of the head, was the only 
reply. "Well," said Mr. Gurley, looking the priest calmly 
in the face, "you, sir, are not the first of your order that I 
have seen. I have known many ; and, up to the time of 
the Rebellion, we lived together on the most friendly terms, 
and if there has been love lost between us, the fault, I think, 
is not mine." The priest then courteously asked Mr. Gurley 
to give him an account of the transactions of the Rebellion, 
so far as he understood them, which he did, entertaining 
his guest till late in the evening. The priest listened to the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



231 



narration with evident interest, and, at its close, remarked, 
that he hoped he would not judge all Catholics by the con- 
duct of those engaged in those bloody scenes. 

The traveler was a Jesuit missionary, on his way from 
Lower Canada to Detroit. A warm breakfast, of chocolate, 
corn cake, butter, and honey, prepared him for his journey; 
and, as his proffered remuneration was courteously declined, 
he took a friendly leave of the family, no doubt impressed 
with the conviction that some "heretics," at least, possess a 
Christian spirit. 

Unaccustomed to the labor of a farm, Mr. Gurley could 
do but little himself, and, therefore, depended mostly on 
hired help. Twenty acres of ground were fenced, and one- 
half planted with corn. A garden was laid out, an orchard 
of small fruit trees set, and the prospect for a successful 
year was very encouraging ; but, alas ! a storm was gather- 
ing, which was to drive the family once more from their 
peaceful home, and blast their pleasant prospects. 

On the 12th of June, of this year, war with England was 
declared. When the news reached the fire-lands the inhab- 
itants were greatly alarmed. The intelligence arrived on 
Saturday. The next day the men assembled, and, with 
great haste, erected a log fort, or "block house," as it was 
termed, on the rising ground, where Bloomingville now 
is. Mr. Gurley declined going on the Sabbath to begin 
the house, but did what he could the next day. 

Some signs of hostility had already been manifested by 
the Indians. Some five or six miles from Mr. Gurley's 
there resided together, in a cabin, a Mr. Buel and a Michael 
Gibbs. Their house stood near the cove, at the mouth of 
Pipe creek, over one mile eastwardly from Sandusky City. 
These men were at home, when, one day, three Indians 
came into the house, in a friendly manner. One of the 
men was sick, and was on the bed. Two of the savages 



232 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

had frequently been there before, and no suspicion was 
entertained of their design. While one of the men stepped 
out of doors, for something, one of the Indians approached 
the bed, and gave the sick man a stab in the breast with 
his knife. His screams of murder caught the ear of his 
companion, who was out of doors, who, seizing an ax, was 
about to rush to the rescue of his friend, when he was met 
at the door by one of the savages. He made a blow at his 
head, which the Indian artfully dodged, and the ax flew 
out of his hand. Thus disarmed, he turned and ran. One 
of the Indians snatched his rifle and fired. The ball entered 
his back, but did not wholly disable him. He continued to 
run, but was overtaken by the other Indian, who struck a 
spear, or spontoon, into the back part of his skull, just 
above the neck. The point of the weapon broke off, and 
remained in his head, and was of service in detecting the 
murderer, as a smith recognized the weapon, as one he had 
made, but a short time before, for an Indian whose name 
was Semo. The day of their murder the men of the county 
were assembled, for a military muster, at the mouth of 
Huron. Some one, who happened to call at the cabin, ran, 
with all speed, to Huron, and communicated the alarming 
news. Dempster Beatty, a brother of Mrs. Gurley, who 
resided with the family, was one of a party which went to 
ascertain the truth of the messenger's report. As they 
entered the cabin door they found the floor burned in the 
centre of the house, which had thus been set on fire ; but, 
the timbers being green, the fire had not made much prog- 
ress. In a hole, under the floor, was found the dead body 
of the sick man; and, after some search, the body of his 
comrade was found in the grass where he had fallen. The 
latter was tomahawked, beside his other wounds. The 
Indians were both found and arrested. Semo shot himself 
through the heart. The other was hung at Cleveland. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



233 



The third Indian was but a youth, and said the older ones 
compelled him to stab, with his knife, their victims, so that 
he would be afraid to tell of the deed. He was set at 
liberty. 

Little danger was to be apprehended from the Wyandotts 
and Senecas, as, in the war, they adhered to the States ; but 
from Maiden the Canada Indians could cross in their canoes, 
and land within two hours' march of Mr. Gurley's house — 
seize their victims — hurry away with them — and be off in 
their canoes before they could be pursued. 

This was the case with the family of Mr. Snow and of Mr. 
Putnam. These families lived four miles from Mr. Gurley, 
at the head of Cold creek, where the only mill in the 
country was erected. Snow and Putnam were out in the 
fields at work; Mrs. Putnam was visiting at Mr. Snow's. 
The Indians came from Canada, landed on the peninsula, 
crossed over, and thus reached their victims. 

They approached the house so cautiously that they were 
not seen till they reached the door-yard. The number of 
the Indians is not precisely known — not far from ten or 
twelve. They took the children and mothers, in all thir- 
teen — including a Mrs. Butler, who was also taken. Mrs. 
Snow was a fine, intelligent woman; dignified in her ap- 
pearance, and obliging in her disposition ; not far from forty 
years of age. Of the five children, the eldest was a young 
lady, the youngest about two years old. 

Mrs. Snow was in delicate health, and unable to travel 
with the speed required by the Indians. They led her a 
few rods from the dwelling, and then struck her down with 
a tomahawk, which they buried in her skull. A little boy 
who lagged behind was also killed, and one other child. 
The remainder were taken to Detroit, where they were sold 
to the commanding officer, who treated them kindly, and 
set them at liberty. 

20* 



234 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Surrender of General Hull — Alarm of settlers — Scene at dinner- 
table — Inhabitants meet at Fort — Burying goods — Journey — Night 
in woods — Death of a child — Family reach Zanesville — Bishop As- 
bury — Mr. Gurley ordained — Rev. David Young — Mr. Gurley's 
views of American preachers — Letter from Ireland — Arrival of his 
son James — Meeting of mother and son. 

The army under General Hull, at Detroit, gave con- 
fidence to the frontier settlements. The heavy cannonading 
which preceded his surrender, notwithstanding the great 
distance, was distinctly heard at the residence of Mr. 
Gurley, and created quite an excitement in the neighbor- 
hood. Borne by an evening breeze over the tranquil waters 
of the lake, the reports of the guns followed each other in 
quick succession, resembling in sound the low rolling of 
very distant thunder. Entertaining no doubt, however, that 
the Northwestern army would at all events hold its position, 
no great fear was entertained by the settlers on the fire- 
lands, nor had the idea of flying from their homes been for 
a moment entertained. 

The disgraceful surrender of General Hull occurred on 
the 16th of August. Three days after, while Mr. Gurley 
and family were seated around the dinner-table, enjoying 
the luxuries of a good garden, the first-fruits of their own 
soil, a messenger arrived at the door, and announced the 
startling intelligence : 

"Hull has surrendered to the British. Detroit is taken; 
and the British commander has sent word to the frontiers 
that they must take care of themselves, for that he could 
not control the Indians ; and that all the settlers must repair 
to the block house that night, and start the next day for the 
'old settlements.' " 

This news fell on their ears like a thunderbolt from heaven; 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 235 

for a moment the whole circle was dumb with consternation. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gurley looked at each other in speechless 
agony. The dread silence was broken by the children ex- 
claiming, "Father, will the Indians kill us? will the Indians 
kill us?" The tragic end of their murdered neighbors was 
fresh in their recollection. Mr. Gurley calmed his frightened 
children by replying, " God knows : but I trust he will not 
let us be hurt." A gush of tears now came to relieve the 
almost bursting heart of Mrs. Gurley. Her mind took in, 
at one comprehensive glance, the wreck of hopes, the ruin of 
property, and struggles with misfortune, which must ensue. 
But recollecting it was no time to indulge in unavailing grief, 
but to rouse all her energies to meet the difficulties which 
awaited them, she promptly commenced preparing for a 
hasty flight. 

That night the children were conducted to the block 
house, but Mr. Gurley and his wife concluded to risk the 
danger, and remained at home, preparing food and packing 
things needful for their journey. Most of the inhabitants 
in the township assembled that night in the fort. Beds 
were laid over the entire floor, on which the women laid 
down to rest ; sleep was scarcely expected. A portion of 
the men were posted around the house at different points, 
as sentinels, while others were occupied in casting bullets 
from the pewter dishes and spoons furnished by the com- 
pany, lead being exceedingly scarce. 

No signs of an enemy appearing, the next morning 
the families returned to their dwellings, and prepared for 
flight. Those dangers which are undefined and uncertain 
as to magnitude, are always most terrible to the imagina- 
tion. Such was the nature of the present peril. They 
knew that they were exposed to the will and mercy of a 
relentless, savage foe, who in a few hours might reach their 
abodes; nor were they without apprehensions that, after 



236 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GUELET. 

commencing their flight, they might be pursued or inter- 
cepted in the wilderness, and thus be cut off. 

A number of families directed their course to Cleveland ; 
others to Mansfield and Mount Vernon. 

After burying a considerable portion of their furniture, 
clothing, and all their books, Mr. G-urley and family took 
leave of the place where a short time before they had set- 
tled with such pleasing prospects. The sun was just setting 
behind a watery cloud when the flying company reached 
the last house of the settlements: this was the " Comstock" 
farm, about two miles from Milan, in the direction of Mans- 
field. Here the several families halted, and were just turn- 
ing loose then- teams to pasture, intending to stay there that 
night, when suddenly an express arrived, with the alarming 
intelligence that the British and Indians were landing at the 
mouth of Huron river, which was but eight miles distant. 

Once more the company renewed their journey. Forty 
miles of wilderness, uncheered by any human dwelling, lay 
between them and Mansfield. The road was merely a 
track blazed through the thick forest; the swamps and 
streams unbridged. 

After proceeding two miles into the woods, the party 
stopped on the banks of a small creek to "bait," and cook 
supper. Fires were kindled against the trunks of large 
trees which had fallen, and the true or real journey-cakes, 
baked on large chips before the fire, were soon smoking on 
the end-board of the wagon, or the lid of a chest. These, 
with dried venison, cheese, and milk from the cows which 
were driven along, formed a healthful and welcome repast 
to the weary and hungry fugitives. 

The rough and miry condition of the roads being but illy 
adapted for the use of horses, Mr. Gurley had employed a 
man, with a yoke of oxen, to take the family through to 
Mount Vernon. Before the oxen, one of Mr. Gurley 's 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



237 



horses was harnessed, to aid in drawing the wagon, while 

another was ridden by one of the family. During supper, 

a man was seen by some of the company to mount the 

latter animal, and to ride off at full trot. This was the 

last Mr. Gurley saw of his horse, which cost eighty dollars. 

Once more the company commenced their march. The 

gloomy forest echoed with the crashing of wheels over the 

brush and limbs of trees which lay in the way. Nothing 

else was heard ; for their progress had interrupted 

" The bark of the fox, from the woodland hill, 
And the whistling night-bird's numbers shrill." 

Having penetrated six miles into the forest, the road 
became exceedingly bad. The horse frequently plunged and 
floundered, and the steady oxen could move but slowly 
through the swampy soil. At length the driver became dis- 
heartened ; most of the teams had passed on before him ; and, 
fearing he might be overtaken by the Indians, whom it was 
thought most likely were in pursuit, he drove his wagon a 
little out of the track, tied the horse to a tree, and, with his 
oxen, unceremoniously departed. 

Thus were Mr. Gurley, his wife, and five children, two of 
whom were sick with chills and fever, left alone, without 
any apparent means of either subsistence or escape. To 
stay there would be starvation; to go back was, most 
likely, to be tomahawked ; to go forward seemed impossible. 
In about an hour a man with a loaded cart came up, and 
Mr. G. persuaded him to permit his wife and child to ride 
in his conveyance, and to let his little boy, a lad of eight 
years, accompany them, and ride occasionally, when the 
roads would permit ; while he would remain with the other 
children until morning, when he hoped to find some way of 
taking them on; and, as a last resort, they had the re- 
maining horse. The man employed to convey Mrs. Gurley 
permitted her to ride about two miles; he then stopped, 



238 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLTAM GURLEY. 

and informed her that he could take her no further ; that 
he feared he could not get through with her safely; and 
that, although he was sorry for her, she had better return 
to her husband, while she could. 

Mrs. Gurley did not remonstrate ; her heart was too full. 
She had already began to reproach herself for leaving the 
rest of the family, especially the girls, sick and motherless ; 
and she therefore instantly resolved to grope her way back, 
through the swampy wilderness, to live or die with them. 

Mrs. Gurley was a delicate woman, unused until recently 
to hardship or toil; but clasping her babe closer to her 
breast, with her little boy at her side, holding to her cloak, 
she commenced her lonely walk back to the wagon. 

It was now about midnight ; the rain gently descended and 

pattered on the leaves of the spreading beech. The moon 

broke not through the sullen clouds. Yet it was not very 

difficult to keep the track made by the wheels through the 

thick underbrush of the dense forest. 

" The passing fire-fly's vivid beam 
Decked darkness with a transient gleam." 

The owl's wild scream fell on their ear, and notwith- 
standing their knowledge of its origin, carried a panic to 
their fearful hearts. As she threaded the narrow and often 
crooked defile through the overshadowing trees, the scenes 
of other years rolled over the mind of Mrs. Gurley. She 
thought of the home of her happy childhood ; the friends 
separated from her by many a mile of forest and many a 
league of ocean ; and as she compared the bright hopes of 
life's joyous morning, with her present condition and dan- 
gers, she felt that her cup was full ; and her emotions were 
such as may not be described. 

Equally indescribable were the feelings of Mr. Gurley, as, 
weaned and dripping with rain, his companion threw her 
child into his arms, and sunk down exhausted at his feet. 



MEMOIR. OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



239 



After a few moments, Mrs. Gurley so far recovered as to 
enter the wagon, where, after laying aside her wet cloak, she 
threw her slender form on a bed, and gave vent to her feel- 
ings in a flood of tears. That, indeed, was an affecting mo- 
ment, in a dark and houseless forest : blood-thirsty savages 
every moment expected, while near forty miles of an un- 
broken wilderness lay between them and any place of safety. 
Now was a time to exercise faith ; to trust in God. 

Mr. Gurley paused until the first gush of emotion had 
subsided: he then addressed his weeping companion in a 
soothing tone of voice, and words of encouragement : 

"My love," said he, "we have tried every way in our 
power to save ourselves ; but in vain. The prospect is bad 
enough, indeed ; but let us not despair. God has promised 
he will never leave nor forsake us. Let us, then, look to 
him who has hitherto been our help in time of trouble." He 
then knelt down in the wagon and lifted up his voice to 
heaven in prayer. 

As he proceeded in supplication, his earnestness increased. 
His soul swelled with unutterable emotion. Kindled with 
reviving courage his voice rose to its fullest swell, and its 
tones of pathos and harmony echoed through the silent 
shades around. "Son of the living God," he exclaimed, 
" thou hast hitherto been our refuge ; and surely thou wilt 
provide in this, our affliction, a way for our escape." 

After prayer, Mrs. Gurley was calm : she seemed to feel 
the efficacy of prayer. The tempest of emotion that had 
disturbed her soul was hushed, and she sunk into a quiet 
slumber. Mr. Gurley took his stand, as a sentinel, beneath 
the spreading foliage of a large tree a few yards from the 
wagon, and waited with solicitude the coming day. As the 
day dawned he struck a fire, and made preparation for a 
morning meal, which his wife and eldest daughter provided. 
Just as they were sitting down, a neighbor, who had been 



240 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



detained by an accident, came up. It was Dr. Hastings, a 
respectable physician and intimate acquaintance. Having 
broken his wagon in crossing the river, he had been obliged 
to leave it, and, with a large family, mounted on both horses 
and oxen, they were making their way to a place of security. 
The tears of both families freely flowed, as they met and 
embraced in the hour of their misfortunes. The Doctor 
proposed, that if Mr. Gurley would throw out the house- 
hold goods which he had brought, so that both families 
could occupy the wagon, he would attach his team, and so 
get through the wilderness. To this Mr. Gurley cheerfully 
consented ; and, prompted by his natural vivacity, he endeav- 
ored to throw a ray of pleasantry on the gloom which pre- 
vailed. "Yes, Doctor," said he, " Satan spoke the truth for 
once, when he said, ' All that a man hath will he give for 
his life.'" The goods were accordingly thrown out, at the 
side of the wagon. Feather beds, bedding, carpet, table- 
furniture, dishes, etc., were thrown in one promiscuous pile. 
The children covered them slightly with spice-bush branches. 
They were picked up, afterward, by returning travelers, and 
were never recovered. 

That day they traveled about twenty miles, and overtook 
a company, consisting of several families, who had preceded 
them, and all encamped on the same ground. The weather 
being warm, and the night pleasant, the beds were spread 
mostly on the ground. In the morning a melancholy acci- 
dent occurred. While breakfast was being provided, the 
beds remained on the ground, in some of which the children 
were still sleeping. A small tree, about eight or ten inches 
in diameter, was needed for some purpose, and men were 
cutting it down. Perceiving, contrary to their expectations, 
that it would fall toward the camp, they placed their axes 
against it to hold it, if possible, crying out to clear the way. 
Supposing all safe, they let it fall. Its top struck a bed in 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



241 



which was the child of a Mr. David Smith. As the tree 
crashed on the earth, the mother uttered a fearful scream ; 
but it was too late. A crooked limb had fallen on the 
sleeping innocent ; and, doubtless unconscious of the slight- 
est pain, its spirit passed away to the bosom of Him who 
said, " Of such is the kingdom of heaven." 

In a hollow formed by an uprooted tree, wrapped in the 
white folds of a sheet, they laid the little corpse to rest. 
Its parents shed their farewell tears on the rude grave, and 
left it to the care of angels till the resurrection morn. 

That evening the company reached Mansfield, which then 
consisted of a few cabins only. From thence Mr. Gurley 
and family proceeded to Mount Vernon, where they re- 
mained a few weeks. But thinking it too small a place to 
resume business, Mr. Gurley proceeded to Zanesville, where 
their journey terminated. The family arrived in that place 
in a very destitute condition. The goods which were thrown 
away in the woods would now have been of great service ; 
but, trusting in Providence, Mr. Gurley sent immediately to 
Pittsburg for a few tools, and commenced work. He found 
considerable employment in making silver eagles for the 
hats and caps of the soldiers and officers who were recruited 
at Zanesville. At length he became somewhat established 
in business, and was enabled to meet, by industry and 
economy, the ordinary expenses of the family — and but 
little more. 

The region of the Muskingum valley afforded him an op- 
portunity for extending his labors round to some distance 
from the town ; while, in the absence of the circuit preachers, 
he frequently occupied the pulpit in the village, for such 
only was Zanesville at that time. 

About three years after his arrival in Zanesville, he had 
the high satisfaction of meeting Bishop Asbury, and his col- 
league, Bishop M'Kendree, at a camp meeting near the town. 

21 



242 



MEMOIR OF REV. WTLLIAM GURLEY. 



Here Mr. G-urley was ordained a deacon, by Bishop M'Ken- 
dree. At what conference he was elected to deacon's 
orders, has not been ascertained ; most probably, at the pre- 
vious session of the Ohio conference. 

Bishop Asbmy was now very feeble ; but he seems to 
have thought, that he must preach as long as he could 
breathe. Indeed, the anxiety to hear him was so great, 
that the venerable and benevolent superintendent would 
probably have gratified his " children," as he regarded them, 
if he could have known it would be his last effort. 

He sat on a table which was placed on the preachers' 
stand, with a feather bed on it for a cushion. Seated upon 
this, he delivered a discourse, the subject of which has es- 
caped recollection.* 

His face, which beamed with benignity, gave manifest indi- 
cation of care and exhaustion. His silver locks hung lightly 
on his shoulders, giving to him a most venerable aspect* 
The tremulous tones of his once rich and mellow voice, 
thrilled on the nerves of the silent auditors ; and, as he sat 
on the table and stretched forth his shriveled hand, pointing 
significantly with his finger to the glowing heavens above, 
he seemed more like some ancient prophet of Israel, fresh 
from the audience-chamber of God, than a toil-worn servant 
of the Church in modern times. 

He presented the embodiment of all that is venerable in 
age, dignified in wisdom and authority, or ennobling in moral 
worth. His paternal counsels fell upon the audience as the 
dew on the tender grass : they listened as to the voice of 
an oracle, evincing their interest in his instructions by their 
silence and their tears. The venerable Bishop died the fol- 
lowing March. 

The Rev. David Young presided at the meeting. He 

* The writer of this biography was present and heard the dis- 
course. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



243 



was then in his strength and prime — a rare model of minis- 
terial dignity, graceful bearing, and impressive oratory. 
His sermon on the Sabbath was on the general judgment, 
and his concluding remarks were awfully impressive, and in 
part were nearly, if not exactly, in the following words: 
"And now, my hearers, I call heaven to witness that I have 
this day declared unto you the whole counsel of God. 
And now, if I knew that this was the last hour of my life ; 
if I now heard the piercing notes of the archangel's trump ; 
if I now saw the tall mountains flowing down like melted 
lava, and beheld the mighty ocean giving up its dead ; if I 
could now see the Son of man coming in the clouds of 
heaven, with all his holy angels; if now the stars should 
fall, the sun become as sackcloth, and the moon as blood — 
even then I could not warn you with more sincerity, earnest- 
ness, and affection, than I do at this moment." 

These words were uttered with a voice of amazing com- 
pass. His clear, distinct intonations rang out like a bell on 
the air, and echoed and re-echoed through the surrounding 
forest. The face of the orator glowed with intense emotion, 
while adown it streams of perspiration and tears mingled 
together. Ere he closed, a burst of sympathy overwhelmed 
the audience with tears ; and he took his seat amid the sobs, 
groans, and shouts of an excited and subdued auditory. 

No one appreciated more highly than did Mr. Gurley, the 
able and gifted ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and especially those of the Ohio conference, with whom, at 
this time, he began to be acquainted. He had heard Clarke, 
Benson, Coke, and Wesley, addressing the crowded audito- 
ries of Birmingham, Liverpool, and Dublin. To these stars 
of the first magnitude he was constantly comparing the pio- 
neer itinerants of this then western state. "That man," he 
would say, "has Benson's voice:" "that brother's gestures 
are much like Dr. Clarke's." And it was, I think, after 



244 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



hearing the able sermon referred to, that he made the re- 
mark, " I never heard a better sermon than that, either in 
Ireland or England." He thought father Collins, late of 
the Ohio conference, whom he once heard, greatly resembled 
Mr. Wesley, in voice and appearance, though he was taller 
than the latter. Bigelow he compared to Joseph Benson. 
Adam Clarke was comparatively young when Mr. G-urley 
became acquainted with him, in Dublin. He heard him, 
however, occasionally, afterward, in England, and always 
spoke of him with the most profound admiration of his abili- 
ties, not unfrequently taking care to remark, that " he was 
an Irishman." 

I will return from this apparent digression with the re- 
mark, that, with all his early predilections for the able and 
holy men whom the sagacity and influence of Mr. Wesley 
called around him, it was the decided opinion of Mr. Gurley 
that the itinerant ministers of this country were, in no re- 
spect, inferior, and in some several respects superior to those 
who were under Wesley's immediate supervision. Jle con- 
sidered the hardships, sacrifices, deprivations, and toil, en- 
dured by our itinerants of the west, as finding no parallel 
in Europe; and that, as revivalists, the ministers of this 
country, as a body, greatly excel those of England or Ire- 
land. 

Soon after Mr. Gurley's arrival in America, his wife's 
father, Mr. Beatty, of Ballycannow, died ; and little James, 
who had been left by his mother, as we have related, was 
consigned to the care of his uncle, James Beatty, Esq. 
While residing in Zanesville, Mr. Gurley received a letter 
from Ireland, stating that in a few weeks James would em- 
bark for the United States. For nearly a year from the 
date of that letter nothing was heard from him, or of him; 
and it was greatly feared by his parents that the ship which 
was to bring him had fallen into the hands of the Algerines, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



245 



who about that time captured many vessels, making slaves 
of the passengers and crew. 

Little James had been brought up by his uncle with 
great care and tenderness. At the age of thirteen he was 
sent to Wexford academy, to qualify him for a midship- 
man's post in the royal navy, which had been secured for 
him already by the government. But, in consequence of 
the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte, the ensuing general 
peace of Europe, and, subsequently, the termination of 
hostilities between Great Britain and the United States, all 
commissions, except for those in actual service, were held 
over. Thus was his destiny changed; and the aspiring 
young Irishman, who had dreamed of acquiring a fortune 
and a name amid the thunders of naval warfare, was re- 
served, by Divine Providence, for a very different and more 
useful department of human exertion. 

About this time a political pamphlet fell into his hands, 
which contained a likeness of Franklin, beneath which was 
the celebrated motto : " Where Liberty dwells, there is my 
country." This seemed to make a very strong, as well as 
sudden, impression on his mind. " That sentiment," he has 
since said, "was the germ of republicanism in my heart. 
It became more intense as I witnessed the tyranny of the 
aristocracy toward their less wealthy neighbors and depend- 
ents. These, with a growing desire to see my parents, 
induced me to resolve to make the United States my home." 
His uncle did not oppose his desire; accordingly, on the 
25th of April, he embarked at Dublin for New York. It 
was not without some emotions of regret that he bade adieu 
to the loved scenery of old Ireland, and the friends of his 
childhood. He possessed a glowing imagination, which 
associated with the romantic scenery of the Emerald Isle 
all that is sublime and beautiful in nature. The same 
imagination, however, found ample employment in forming 
21* 



246 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



conceptions of the charms and terrors of a voyage to the new 
world; and the thoughts of finding, in the far-off wilds of 
the west, his parents, whom he had never known — brothers 
and sisters, whom he had never seen — occupied many a pass- 
ing hour, and stirred the deep fount of feeling in his soul. 

He narrowly escaped destruction in a tremendous storm, 
which occurred during the voyage, and arrived at the city 
of New York after a passage of 6ixty-nine days. From 
thence he proceeded to New London, in Connecticut. Here 
he remained with his uncle, Mr. John Beatty, who, in the 
fall, designed removing with his family to the fire-lands, 
where he owned large quantities of land. He accompanied 
Mr. Beatty as far as Cleveland, which then contained scarce 
a dozen houses. Here he put his clothing in a knapsack, 
and, there being no mode of public conveyance, he started 
on foot, up the Cuyahoga to the portage, and thence down 
the head waters of the Muskingum. This was rather a 
serious journey for the young emigrant, the whole distance, 
which was over one hundred miles, being through an entire 
wilderness, with only here and there, at long intervals, a 
cabin. Nothing daunted, however, he proceeded, animated 
with the prospect of soon reaching his journey's end. He 
was obliged, part of the time, to sleep out alone in the 
woods; and, wearied with the rough, untraveled way, he 
reached the Tuscarawas with feet so blistered that he was 
unable to walk. Here he rested for a day, and employed 
a carpenter who resided there, and who had a few boards, 
to construct him a small float, or skiff, which he himself 
contrived. In this he embarked for Zanesville, where in a 
day or two he arrived. On his way down he amused him- 
self at the expense of the few settlers he found on the way, 
telling them, when they inquired, that he came " from 
Ireland;" and some asked him if he came "all the way in 
that thing." 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



247 



Mr. Gurley and family were still brooding over the melan- 
choly idea that their son might be a slave in Algiers, when, 
one bright afternoon in October, 1815, a rap was heard at 
their door ; it was opened by Mrs. Gurley. A stout youth 
of fifteen, with ruddy cheeks and dark, curly locjks, entered, 
accompanied by a colored man, who came to show him the 
house. He inquired, with evident agitation, if Mr. Gurley 
was at home. He was told he had gone out in the town. 
The youth recognized in Mrs. Gurley his mother, by her 
striking resemblance to his aunt; but he was so much 
agitated, that he could find no words, and stood trembling 
and mute with excitement. Mrs. Gurley beheld him with 
surprise. At this moment the person who came with him 
stepped forward, and said, "Mrs. Gurley, don't you know 
this young man?" She replied in the negative. "Why," 
said he, "this is your son, from Ireland." Mrs. Gurley 
fixed a steady gaze for an instant on the face of the youth, 
the'n exclaimed, "James, my son, is this you?" The trem- 
bling boy had scarce answered "yes," when, overpowered 
with emotion, she clasped him to her maternal bosom, and 
fell powerless to the floor. Mr. Gurley soon came in, and 
welcomed, with gratitude to God, the child he had not seen 
since it was six months old. " God be praised," said the 
rejoicing father, as some friends entered the room, "this our 
son was dead, but is alive again — was lost, but is found." 
Black "Andrew," who conducted James to the dwelling, 
must have been something of a physiognomist. He was 
somewhat familiar with the family, and had heard of the 
lost son. Meeting the youth on the bridge, he at once 
perceived a strong resemblance to Mr. Gurley, and boldly 
accosted him thus : " Young man, do you want to find your 
father?" "I have traveled a long way for that purpose," 
was the reply. "Then come along with me," said Andy; 
and so conducted him to the place. 



248 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



There was a great difference in appearance between the 
Irish boy and the other children. They were slender and 
pale, having passed through the ordeal of a bilious climate. 
But the pure air of Ireland, its fresh sea-breezes and crys- 
tal springs, had given robustness to his frame and a glow 
to his cheek, which was in striking contrast to the rest of 
the family. He was just fifteen years of age the day he 
arrived. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



249 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Mr. Gurley returns to Huron county — Improvement of country — 
Circuit preaching — James Gurley becomes a preacher — Mr. Gurley 
settles in Milan — His extensive labors — His second son converted — 
Joins Ohio conference — Traveling and local preachers — Pattee and 
MTntire — Mr. Gurley ordained elder — His age and death — His 
character. 

Mr. Gurley resided in Zanesville a little over six years ; 
he then returned to his farm in the northern part of the state, 
which he reached in February, 1819. 

The lapse of six years had but little improved the fire- 
lands. Although, after the close of the war, many new 
settlers arrived, yet but little improvement was visible. 
Sandusky City, Norwalk, and Milan, had, however, just 
been laid out, and a few buildings were erected in each. 

Among the new settlers who had arrived since the war, 
were a number from Connecticut, who were members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. As a society was formed in 
Perkins, and in some other places in the county, and Rev. 
Alfred Brunson was on the circuit, Mr. Gurley resided, 
during the spring and summer, at Perkins. Soon after the 
arrival of the family there, a good work of grace com- 
menced in the neighborhood. Among those who united 
with the Church was James Gurley, then in his eighteenth 
year. In about six months he was licensed to exhort; 
and at the first local preachers' district meeting held in 
Newark, in 1820, he was licensed to preach. He was sub- 
sequently admitted into the Ohio annual conference, within 
whose bounds he has traveled nearly twenty years ; but at 
the last session of that body he was transferred to the 
Missouri conference, and appointed to the charge of the 
Wyandott Indian mission. 

His conversion and call to the ministry were in the 



250 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



highest degree gratifying to his parents, who were am- 
bitious of no higher honor for their son than that he should 
become a faithful and useful Methodist preacher. 

In the autumn of 1818 Mr. Gurley exchanged his farm 
near Bloomingville for one two miles west of Milan. This, 
with the aid of his sons, he improved, and continued on it 
till his death. He was now about sixty, a time of life 
when most ministers seek repose from their accustomed 
labor and toil ; but he was, apparently, in his strength and 
prime. 

A wide and comparatively-destitute field of labor now 
opened before him, and into it he entered with a zeal and 
endurance almost incredible. Certain it is that it was his 
common practice to walk, almost every week, winter and 
summer, from five to eighteen miles and back, to give Sab- 
bath preaching to destitute places. He usually went, if it 
was far, on Saturday, and returned on Monday. This, 
together with the frequent calls to funerals, necessarily 
made a heavy draft on his time, which most men in his cir- 
cumstances would have thought they could not well afford ; 
but never was worldly interest known to weigh a feather 
with him when called to preach Christ. 

The following places, with some others, shared in his 
frequent labors: Milan, Huron, Perkins, Berlin, Florence, 
Vermilion, Strong's Ridge, Bloomingville, and Sandusky 
City. Few of these places had Sabbath preaching. For 
nearly twenty years did Mr. Gurley continue thus his 
gratuitous labors: not a forest in the county but he had 
threaded ; not a prairie but he had crossed ; and frequently, 
in cold weather, he must off with shoes and stockings, and 
wade the "swails" which then abounded, and were filled 
with water. Subsequently, he would ride to his appoint- 
ments. For the last ten years of his life he preached but 
seldom; he was about eighty-five when he preached his 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GTJRLEY. 251 

_ast sermon. No man, it is believed, has preached in that 
county so many funeral discourses as he. He often re- 
marked, " What multitudes have I buried, and nearly all of 
them younger than myself!" He usually attended all 
the quarterly meetings on the circuit; and it is questionable 
whether any local preacher in modern times has been in 
labors more abundant. 

Soon after Mr. Gurley's return to the north, his third 
daughter (Eliza) died, at the age of sixteen ; his two elder 
daughters were married: they both became members of 
the Church. They subsequently removed to the state of 
Indiana, where their husbands were successfully engaged 
in the cultivation of the soil. 

In the year 1824 the second son of Mr. Gurley, then 
twenty years of age, embraced the truth, and united with 
the Church. In 1828 he was admitted on trial, as a 
traveling preacher, in the Ohio conference.* 

Thus had Mr. Gurley the satisfaction of seeing two of 
his sons in the itinerant field. He has been heard fre- 
quently to say, that he could now see why the providence 
of God had led him to the wilds of Ohio. 

He ■ lived to see the work of God greatly revive and 
extend throughout the rapidly-settling country. It would 
be too great a digression to notice in this work the different 
ministers, traveling and local, who fought, side by side in 
that region, the battles of the Lord. I will, however, take 
a passing glance at a few of them. 

As leaders of the host, we may name James M'Mahon, 
William Swayze, Jacob Young, and Russell Bigelow, all of 
whom were zealous presiding elders. Amongst those who 
traveled on that circuit in early times, are found the names 
of Alfred Brunson, Dennis Godard, Shadrach Ruarch, and 
Adam Poe. 

* The writer of this work. 



252 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

There were a number of local preachers who, with com- 
mendable zeal, took part in the work of spiritual husbandry. 
Two of these were more distinguished than others — True 
Pattee and James M'Intire. These were both acceptable 
and useful preachers, but widely different men. 

Pattee was a well-built and fine-proportioned man, with 
a manner easy and graceful ; M'Intire was tall, raw-boned, 
and loose-jointed, naturally reminding one of Pharaoh's 
"lean kine." Pattee dressed well, with broadcloth coat and 
neat cravat ; M'Intire wore a blue hunting-shirt, tow pants, 
and shirt of the same material, the bosom of which was 
fastened with an Indian broach ; while the brown collar lay 
open on his shoulder, exposing his long, sinewy neck. 

The former was a dignified-looking man in the pulpit; the 
latter could be dignified in no attitude, graceful in no move- 
ment. Pattee studied to please and persuade ; M'Intire to 
enlighten and convince. The former addressed the softer 
passions ; the latter appealed to the judgment. The one con- 
ciliated and pleased, by his suavity of manner and natural 
elocution; the other astonished by his depth of thought, 
and the originality and simplicity of his illustrations. 

Pattee would throw before the audience some pleasing 
truth, strew around it some flowers of rhetoric, and leave 
his hearers delighted with both it and himself; M'Intire, 
with the first glance of his small, piercing eye, would seem 
to penetrate every intellect and every heart. He would 
then lead his audience along, disentangling some complicated 
subject — pursuing some distant, but important conclusion — 
exposing to contempt and laughter some specious sophistry ; 
or, with some withering irony or scorching sarcasm, com- 
pletely storm the bulwarks of the enemy. The former 
could entertain an assembly for an hour; the latter en- 
chain one for three. They were both good and useful 
men, adapted to the times in which they flourished ; 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GTTRLEY. 



253 



both had seals to their ministry, and their record is on 
high. 

In 1831 the Ohio conference held its session in Mans- 
field. Mr. Gurley attended, and was elected to elder's 
orders, and ordained by Bishop Hedding: he was then in 
his seventy-fifth year. He was not solicitous of this honor, 
believing that it would seldom be necessary for him to 
exercise its functions ; he yielded, however, to the solicita- 
tions of others, and consented to be ordained. Advanced 
as he was in years, he had several times the opportunity, 
in the absence of a traveling elder, at large meetings, to 
administer the sacrament. As he advanced in years, his 
presence at the quarterly meetings, which he punctually 
attended, produced a marked impression. His frame, bowed 
with the weight of ninety years, his animated face, his 
lively step and cheerful air, his flowing silver locks, drew 
the attention of all; while the original remarks he often 
made, and the deeply-interesting details of his long experi- 
ence, related in the most graphic, yet humble and affecting 
manner, often produced a very deep sensation in the con- 
gregation, and sometimes an extraordinary overflow of 
Christian sympathy. As a token of their respect and 
affection, the quarterly conference of the Norwalk circuit, 
on motion of the Rev. Edward Thomson, then Principal 
of the Norwalk Seminary, passed a resolution, requesting 
"father Gurley" to sit for his portrait, which should be 
preserved by the stewards as the property of the quarterly 
conference or circuit. Some twenty dollars were contributed 
for the purpose, an artist was employed, and an excellent 
portrait on canvas produced, which is preserved in the 
"Baldwin Institute," a seminary under the patronage of 
the North Ohio annual conference. 

The temporal circumstances of Mr. Gurley, for the last 
twenty years of his life, though not affluent, were easy. 

22 



254 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



For support he depended chiefly on his farm ; though, 
occasionally, he would make a set of silver spoons, mend 
an article of jewelry, engrave a finger ring, or repair a 
mathematical instrument. 

His humble residence was a resort for many visitors. 
Ministers of the Gospel always found there a welcome 
home. Members of the Church, living a hundred miles 
distant, who had heard of him, being in that direction on 
business, would turn aside to see a preacher who was 
licensed by Wesley — who had been imprisoned by Roman 
Catholics, and led out to be put to death. 

His health was, in general, excellent, though that of 
Mrs. Gurley was very defective. They had, in all, eleven 
children. Six only of these were living at the time of his 
death, his eldest daughter, Mrs. Broaded, having died 
a short time previous. His second daughter, Mrs. Cox, 
resided in Indiana; while his youngest daughter, who had 
recently married a physician, lived in the vicinity. His two 
older sons, as we have seen, were in the itinerancy. The 
two younger were members of the Church, the youngest 
residing at Marion, and the other occupying the homestead, 
where he resided. Occasional visits from these enlivened 
the hours at the paternal mansion. With cheerful stories of 
by-gone years — with the sacred songs which he had sung to 
them in their childhood — with affectionate inquiries about 
their respective charges and families, would he interest and 
entertain his assembled children and grandchildren, and 
close the evening's interview with prayer for their welfare. 
In the absence of all other company, he found, in books 
and periodicals, abundant entertainment and a rich repast. 

But the longest journey has its end; and the time at 
length arrived, though by imperceptible gradations, when 
the mental and physical power of his vigorous constitution 
began to give way. 



MEMOIR OP REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



255 



Up to the age of eighty-six he could read, with but little 
difficulty ; but from that time his sight rapidly failed. It 
was an affecting sight, to one who knew his strong love of 
reading, to see him take the Christian Advocate, and, stand- 
ing out of doors, hold it up to the direct rays of the sun. 
This could not last long. Gradually the windows of the 
soul were darkened, until, at last, he said, "I shall never 
read more." Exceedingly defective in hearing, no one could 
read to him. Thus the intellectual man was left without 
food, and, therefore, soon began to show signs of decay. 
Yet he murmured not. He would say, "Well, why should 
I complain? I have had my day, and a long one, too." 
Still his memory, in regard to early years, was good. He 
conversed with vivacity, and would still, occasionally, speak 
and pray in public. The last sermon which the writer of 
this volume heard him deliver, was in Sandusky City, several 
years before he died. His text was from Solomon's Song, 
v, 9: "What is thy beloved more than another's beloved, 
that thou dost so charge us?" He drew a picture of a 
person, with the most lovely traits of character, and then 
showed that Jesus possessed all these, in a superior degree. 
"Ladies," said he, "the rose on your cheeks will fade, your 
glossy ringlets will become gray, and your polished brows 
will be furrowed o'er with age, and your fair forms become 
food for worms ; but the charms of my Beloved shall never 
wither. His beauty shall never die. Come, then, to the 
arms of my Beloved. 'He is the chief amongst ten thou- 
sand, and the one altogether lovely.' " 

The last time the writer heard him speak in love-feast 
was at Perkins, in July, 1842. His remarks were noted 
down at the time. He spoke, very briefly, as follows : 

"Thirty-one thousand, one hundred and sixty-six days 
have passed over my head, since I have been a traveler in 
this vale of tears ; and 0, what scenes and dangers have I 



256 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

passed through ! — dangers by sea and by land, by persecu- 
tions and by war! But, out of all, the hand of God hath 
safely brought me. Many things, this morning, unite to 
make this a deeply-interesting season to me. I am now on 
the verge of an awful eternity. I believe I shall never see 
you again, here, in a love-feast; but I know there is a rest 
for the people of God ; and, although I am now but an old 
and feeble servant of Christ, yet I believe that Jesus, my 
Savior, who has so long given me his grace to help me, will 
still sustain the tottering clay, and never leave nor forsake 
me, till I am received at last into the asylum of the blessed 
above. This is the last time, I presume, I shall ever 
meet with my son in a love-feast. You know he has been 
four years on this district, and must needs go, I know not 
where. He may not be with me, even when dying, to close 
my eyes." Here the venerable father paused, overcome 
with emotion. "But, glory to God! I shall be supported 
by his presence, even down to the Jordan of death! I 
love the Methodist Church ; and it is my earnest desire and 
prayer, that every one of you may come down to the Jor- 
dan of death, adopting the lines of the poet, in that beau- 
tiful hymn in your books : 

' 0 God, thou bottomless abyss ! 

Thee to perfection who can know ? 
0 height immense ! what words suffice, 

Thy countless attributes to show ? 
Unfathomable depths thou art ! 

0, plunge me in thy mercy's sea ! 
Void of true wisdom is my heart; 

With love and wisdom cover me ! 
While thee, all infinite, I set, 

By faith, before my ravish'd eye; 
My weakness bends beneath the weight; 

O'erpower'd I sink, I faint, I die.' 

This is my desire," he added, " that you may all be plunged 
in that sea of mercy — that bottomless abyss of love, and 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GtJRLEY. 257 

rise to all the life of God, which may he grant for his Son's 
sake!" 

He repeated the foregoing* lines of that sublime hymn 
with appropriate emphasis and peculiar energy. He was 
right in his conjecture. He never spoke in love-feast again, 
in the hearing of that son. The mode of stating his age 
in days was in keeping with his usual course, which was, 
always to begin with something which, from its novelty, 
would excite attention. 

Notwithstanding the eye of this venerable servant of God 
had become dim, and his natural force abated, yet, by the 
filial attentions of his son William, with whom he resided, 
he still attended public worship, until in November, 1847, 
at which time he was over ninety years of age. During 
that month he complained of debility ; and, at length, was 
confined to his bed with a slow fever. His appetite depart- 
ed, and his strength gradually declined until the 14th of 
February, 1848, when it became evident that the time of 
his departure was at hand. Through his protracted illness 
he continued perfectly sensible; and it was exceedingly 
edifying to hear him speak of his confidence in God. The 
promises of God, which he had so often proclaimed to 
others, were now sweet to his soul. When asked, by a friend, 
if his prospects were bright for a better world, "0 yes," 
said he, "his rod and his staff comfort me," and then 
repeated some expressive lines of one of our hymns. To 
his son, who was with him until a few days before he died, 
and was then obliged to leave, he said, at parting, "Tell all 
the people, that Jesus is with me." 

It had ever been his wish that he might retain his reason 
to the last ; and he had often prayed that it might be so ; 
and God granted him his petition. On the morning of the 
10th he gave evident indications of being on the brink of 
the river. Of this he became fully aware. He was raised 
22* 



258 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



up in the bed ; and now, calling for each member of the 
family, he took them by the hand, and bade them farewell. 
When this was over there was a short pause, when, raising 
his eyes, he said, with peculiar emphasis, "What a beauti- 
ful country is heaven! I see God," and, in a few moments, 
ceased to breathe. Thus died this venerable father, in the 
ninety-first year of his age. 

His remains are deposited in a secluded spot, where 
several of the family connections repose. His aged com- 
panion did not long survive him. She closed her eyes in 
peace on the ensuing September. For fifty-three years 
they had traveled together life's rugged path, in harmony 
and affection. She was an intelligent, devoted, and exem- 
plary Christian. 

Having thus traced the subject of this memoir, from 
infancy, through varied and striking vicissitudes of fortune, 
to an honorable and extreme old age — having marked the 
steadfastness of his faith in God, and the cheerfulness with 
which he bore the ills of life — the industry with which he 
labored in the harvest fields of our Zion — and, finally, the 
triumphant close of his mortal existence, it only remains 
that we briefly sketch, some of those characteristics which 
distinguished him as a man, a Christian, and a minister. 

He was intelligent. Though not a classical scholar, yet 
he was well read in the works of the most distinguished 
authors, both ancient and modern. With histoiy he was 
delighted : Josephus, Rollin, Plutarch, and Hume were 
familiar to him. 

In early life he read English translations of the ancient 
poets. Of Homer, especially, he was very fond. With 
biography and travels he was constantly conversant. He 
perused Durbin's, Olin's, and Stephens' works after he was 
eighty years of age. With the political movements of all 
Europe, for the last fifty years, he was remarkably familiar, 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



259 



as well as with the names and character of the leading 
men; and he watched the progressive changes of the old 
world with peculiar interest and sympathy. With the 
literature of the Church he was also well acquainted. 
Clarke's Commentary he read in numbers, as it first issued 
from the press. The principal writings of Wesley and 
Fletcher he brought with him from England. His library, 
when he came to America, was quite extensive. The most 
of it, however, he was obliged to leave in Connecticut. 
He brought to the west only a box of choice volumes. 
These, during the war, were buried. They were dug up 
by some neighbors, at the close of hostilities, and none 
were to be found, on Mr. Gurley's return to the north, 
except a large folio Bible, with notes, and a quarto volume 
of Josephus. But he laid the whole country under contri- 
bution for books; and, until near the close of his life, he 
was seldom without a course of daily reading. 

He delighted to read aloud to a company of friends, and 
it was music to hear him. The sweet, mellow tones of his 
silvery voice fell harmoniously on the ear, while his em- 
phasis, and his distinct enunciation, and animated manner, 
gave a double charm to the subjects. 

He was well read in natural history, and would illustrate 
points of theology by Goldsmith's description of a feather, 
or Wesley's account of the polypus. 

His extensive and close observation had enriched his 
mind with much valuable information, and no intelligent 
person could be in his company an hour, without being- 
struck with his retentive memory, extensive reading, and 
versatile knowledge. 

He was cheerful. There was about him a rich vein of 
Irish humor, which he employed, not for the purpose of 
provoking mirth and levity, but to entertain pleasantly and 
agreeably the company in which he might happen to be. 



260 MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 

Some might deem this inconsistent with the dignity and 
gravity so important to a minister of Christ; but in him 
it was so blended with the useful and the serious, that 
those who were a short time in his company could see that 
it was not the frothy bubblings of a vain mind, but the 
upgushings of a pure and perennial fountain of Christian 
cheerfulness. 

A minister of a decidedly gloomy cast of mind — one 
who seemed to think earth would be better without its 
smiles, and that a hearty laugh was a mortal sin — called 
to spend a day or two with him. Having heard much 
of "father Gurley" as an "old-fashioned" minister, he 
doubtless thought he would find one man, at least, as 
solemn as himself. Mr. G-urley was perusing some English 
author, favorable to high Church principles, when the stran- 
ger arrived. He was received with a cheerful welcome, 
and his horse put up. 

The gloomy aspect of the traveler led Mr. Gurley to the 
conclusion, that probably he was way-worn and dejected; 
he, therefore, at once endeavored to dissipate the cloud. 

" I have just finished a book on the Church of England," 
said he. "How do you like it?" said the stranger, gravely. 
"0, as to that," replied Mr. Gurley, "I must say, as the 
man said of his wooden god, I don't half like it." A look 
of astonishment, and a deep-drawn sigh, was the only 
reply. Mr. G. then referred, in a humorous and witty 
style, to the absurdities of the English hierarchy; but in 
the stranger's bosom there was no sympathy with such 
humor, and not a muscle of his face relaxed. 

This imperturbable gravity of his guest roused Mr. Gur- 
ley completely, and he at once commenced an account of 
an encounter between a Wesleyan preacher and a proud, 
worldly parson, in Ireland. The narrative was so nearly 
connected with Methodism, and so attractive and curious in 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM OURLEY. 



261 



its details, that the attention of the stranger was riveted to 
the subject. The close of it was so provokingly ludicrous, 
that it completely stormed the fortress of his gravity, and 
an irrepressible gush of risibility suffused his face. The 
emotion, however, was only for a moment ; and so much 
was he wounded in feeling, that he actually called Mr. 
Gurley out of his own house, and intimated modestly to 
him that he was afraid they had indulged in too much 
levity. Mr. Gurley replied by tapping him on the shoulder 
and saying, "Never mind, brother; you will become better 
acquainted with me hereafter. With me a merry heart is 
a continual feast." 

The stranger afterward became one of his warmest 
friends and admirers; and, indeed, finally dismissed that 
constrained and affected gravity, which would exclude from 
the domestic circle the smile which cheers and the humor 
which enlivens. 

To coarse and vulgar witticisms he never descended ; yet 
of genuine, ready wit, few men possessed more than him- 
self — and certainly, few ever used it with less injury to 
himself and others. Satire waits on wit; and many have 
sacrificed a real friend for the pleasure of a fine joke. 
But such was not his manner. He employed it to enliven 
conversation and to expose folly, or to extricate himself or 
others from some awkward dilemma. 

He once had an appointment at Norwalk. He was 

entertained at the house of Dr. G , who was not a 

member of the Church, but a respectable physician and a 
worthy man. After morning worship in the family, the 
Bible was laid on the bureau with the books from whence 
it had been taken. When the hour of worship arrived, 
Mr. Gurley took, as he supposed, the sacred book from its 
place, and, putting it under his arm, proceeded with the 
Doctor to the court-house, in which meetings were then 



262 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



held. Whether he had previously selected a text is uncer- 
tain. It is not improbable that his mind was unsettled on 
the point, as is frequently the case with those preachers 
whose efforts are purely extemporaneous. Be that as it 
may, he did not look into his Bible until he had sung and 
prayed. While the audience were singing the last verse 
of the hymn, he reached for the book, and, rising up, 
looked in it earnestly. Then lifting his brilliant eye, which 
flashed with some peculiar emotion, he glanced rapidly 
round on the audience. A slight shade of perplexity, 
which was visible on his countenance, passed away like a 
shadow. He was looking into the wrong book ; instead of 
the good old Bible, so familiar to his eye, it was a modern 
work on anatomy and physiology, departments of science 
on which he had no disposition to discourse on that occa- 
sion. The page on which his eye rested as he opened the 
book, had on it an engraving of the human ear. A slight, 
but scarcely discernible smile played round the lips of the 
speaker; but, with scarcely an instant's hesitation, he an- 
nounced, in his accustomed tone and manner, the text, 
which by instantaneous association came to his mind : " He 
that hath an ear to hear, let him hear." He preached with 
his usual freedom on the value of the word of God, and 
the manner and spirit in which it should be heard. As 
they were passing homeward, "Doctor," said Mr. Gurley, 
looking archly in his face, " do you know what I had for 
my text?" "I remember the words, sir, but I think you 
did not mention the chapter or verse." "I suppose, Doc- 
tor," continued he, "you little thought it was this?" holding 
up the volume with the ear visible. The Doctor was con- 
vulsed with laughter, and often referred to the circumstance 
when speaking of the preacher. 

As a Christian, his piety was uniform; "no changes of 
season or place " produced any observable difference in his 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLET. 



263 



state of mind. He seemed always what you saw him once. 
He never spoke of his doubts, his fears, or his temptations ; 
but always of his confidence in God. 

He had strong faith. His firm belief in a special provi- 
dence, led him to make every matter a subject of prayer. 
In several cases, when praying for persons not expected to 
recover, he would rise from his knees with the fullest assu- 
rance that they would live. 

The habitual state of his mind, in relation to his Chris- 
tian character, was that of calmness and serenity; but he 
never appeared to be dry or cold. His public and family 
devotions were characterized by a freshness, originality, and 
variety, rarely exceeded. His every-day prayers bore an 
unusually slight resemblance to each other. They arose 
from every-day duties or circumstances, and were, therefore, 
diversified as the passing events, and were always appro- 
priate and impressive. 

He was habitually serious and devotional. His serious- 
ness was as conspicuous as his cheerfulness: these seemed 
no more incompatible with each other than the color and 
the fragrance of the rose. He realized constantly the 
presence of God, and mental and ejaculatory prayer seemed 
to occupy more or less of every hour of his life. 

His amiable and charitable disposition effectually secured 
him from those bickerings and difficulties into which hasty 
and passionate persons are so liable to be betrayed. Though 
a member of the Church more than sixty years, it is not 
known that he ever had the slightest difficulty with any 
member of it during all that time. It was his glory to pass 
over a transgression. 

He was a rare singer. Nature had given him a voice of 
great compass and volume, and its intonations were exqui- 
sitely fine and musical. He never studied music as a science ; 
but he learned, in Europe, an amazing variety of tunes. 



264 



MEMOIR OF RET. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



The hymns most generally sung in our Church were not 
those of his choice, and he often remarked that in this coun- 
try our best hymns are rarely sung. 

"The God of Abram praise," and "Wrestling Jacob," 
were favorites of his; also, " I'll praise my Maker while I've 
breath," and "0, God, thou bottomless abyss." His solos 
would entrance an audience ; and tens of thousands will re- 
member, through life, the thrilling tones of his powerful and 
melodious voice. 

He never despised the gifts of others, however weak, but 
was always ready to encourage the desponding, and to sym- 
pathize with the dejected or afflicted. 

A preacher of another denomination once had an appoint- 
ment in the neighborhood where he resided. The audience 
was large, for the place, and of different denominations. 
He commenced his seimpn with evident embarrassment : pro- 
ceeded about five minutes, when he became confused and 
speechless, and to his great mortification was obliged to take 
his seat ; which he did, requesting, as he sat down, that some 
one would proceed with the meeting. 

The preacher had just come from a sacramental meeting, 
and two or three of his brethren in the ministry were with 
him. These were much mortified, likewise, and hung their 
heads in silence. Perceiving their embarrassment, after a 
moment's pause Mr. Gurley rose, and with a smile on his 
countenance, broke the silence with this remark: "For the 
iniquities of the people, hath the Lord shut the mouth of 
his prophet." The audience, who were thus made to bear 
the blame of the failure, whether deservedly or not, were 
evidently relieved. Mr. Gurley proceeded to make a few 
remarks on the subject introduced, and then took his seat, 
when the brethren of the minister, who had been thrown 
"hors du combat" proceeded witli the exercises, and closed 
the services. 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



265 



The young preachers who were appointed to the circuit 
attracted his special attention, and he usually ventured an 
opinion as to their future promise. To one of these, whose 
manner of speaking was unpleasant, he remarked: "Mr. 
Wesley often spoke in loud tones ; but he never screeched." 

The residence of Mr. Gurley was embraced in the first 
circuit traveled by Dr. Thomson, now President of the Ohio 
Wesleyan University. The first time he heard the Doctor 
preach he observed, to a friend : " He is a very small man ; 
but, mark my words, he will yet become a great one." 

To the Church of which he was a member, he had a 
depth and strength of attachment seldom surpassed. 

His personal acquaintance with Mr. Wesley, the great and 
excellent founder of Methodism, had impressed him with an. 
early and deep conviction, that it was the cause of God. 
The intelligence, the zeal, the holiness, and the Herculean 
labors of that wonderful man, were constantly associated in 
his mind with the great body of Methodists raised up under 
his supervision or through his instrumentality. He had 
studied ecclesiastical history with attention, and he regarded 
the Methodist Episcopal Church as distinguished beyond all 
others, for the combined elements of simplicity, strength, 
harmonious action, and conservative and aggressive power. 
Though accustomed to the Wesleyan plan as it is in England 
and Ireland, yet he regarded the office and labors of the 
bishops of our Church, in this country, as of vast and vital 
importance to the integrity and unity of American Metho- 
dism. Of the power of the Episcopacy, of which so much 
has been said, he had no fears : he knew they were respon- 
sible, and that was sufficient. He believed them to be men 
of God, in labors abundant. He read whatever came from 
their pen with special attention, entertained for them a sin- 
cere veneration, and never spoke of them but with profound 
respect. 



266 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GTJRLET. 



On one occasion, when a "Radical" had exhausted his 
stock of argument and eloquence to convince the people 
that the bishops of the Methodist -Episcopal Church pos- 
sessed too much power, and were dangerous, tyrannical 
men, and seemed to think that those present were satisfied 
that it was high time to get out of such dangerous company, 
Mr. Gurley rose, and in a pleasant tone remarked, that 
through a long life he had been a member of the Methodist 
Church ; and he could assure all present that he had never 
felt any other power but the power of " God, the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost." "And, believe me, my friends," 
said he, "it never did me any harm." The adversary was 
foiled. 

As a preacher, Mr. Gurley 's talents, without being of a 
high order, were respectable. His sermons were purely ex- 
temporaneous. It is doubtful if, during his whole ministry, 
he ever penned one " sketch." But he was by no means 
without study and research. He weighed well the import 
of his subject ; consulted commentaries and authors; and fre- 
quently his discourses were logical, clear, and systematic. 

His sermons were rich with illustrations and anecdotes; 
his knowledge of the Bible was extensive and accurate ; and 
he often drew from their recorded facts moral pictures of 
peculiar power. 

His well-stored memory furnished facts and illustrations 
from history, both sacred and profane ; and he not unfre- 
quently referred to some points in his own experience in con- 
firmation of the truth. 

His manner was animated, but not boisterous ; he seldom 
discussed controverted points, but he well understood the 
doctrines of the Bible, and preached them plainly. The 
atonement was his theme; entire sanctification he always 
urged. Of his own attainments in holiness he spoke with 
great modesty; but that lie enjoyed in a large degree the 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



267 



blessing no one who knew him could doubt. But of his 
constant faith, unwavering confidence, and cloudless joys, 
he spoke with the greatest freedom. 

In the comparative seclusion and retirement of age, he 
was still a watchful observer of the signs of the times, and 
marked with heart-felt joy the triumphs of our beloved 
Zion; and well might he do so, for when he was born 
Methodism was unknown on this continent. Before he died, 
her communicants were more than a million. But he has 
descended to his rest ; he sleeps with his fathers, and his 
spirit and his record are on high. 

To the last he felt a deep sympathy for his native land, 
and hoped and prayed for her prosperity. He found but 
little, however, in her recent history and condition, to cheer 
him. Most of the actors in those scenes of blood through 
which he had passed, have indeed descended to the grave, 
but the traces of the conflict are still visible on the moral 
character and political condition of the nation. The smoth- 
ered fires, like the pent-up lava of a volcano, still heave and 
shake that unhappy land. Important concessions have 
indeed been made to her Roman Catholic citizens, and 
much has been attempted toward the amelioration of her 
condition, and the reformation of her people; yet each 
succeeding year but deepens the sad picture of her dis- 
tresses. 

Her spasmodic efforts to throw off her burdens have en- 
listed the sympathies of the civilized world ; but amid her 
struggles and misfortunes, which have awakened the com- 
passion of mankind, England, with her gigantic power, still 
holds her with a steady hand, alike unwilling to relieve her 
sufferings or to let her go. Her future fortunes no human 
foresight can penetrate. Philanthropy and patriotism, how- 
ever, prompt us to hope that Great Britain will yet have 
the sagacity to perceive, and the justice to apply, the 



268 



MEMOIR OF REV. WILLIAM GURLEY. 



means of conciliating the affection and elevating the char- 
acter of her Irish subjects ; and that, ere long, the light of 
a new era may dawn on her destiny, and the dreams of her 
Currans and her Emmets find a realization in the brightness 
and glory of her future history. 



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